Not Worthless!!!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

When I was first dealing with the aftermath of my rape and abuse I felt totally abandoned by God and worthless. If God loved me why didn't He protect me. Obviously what I had been taught was wrong. I wasn't all that important to God. I was just another human, just one of BILLIONS to roam this earth. God had more important things to deal with than my problems.

I was mired in self-pity, fear, shame, anger, confusion, doubt and abandonment. Yeah, I was like many victims, maybe even you! I put on a mask. I went about my life. I even kept going to church because that was what I knew. Yet inside I wasn't buying it.

I was too busy dealing with being raped to begin to recover from the rape. I met a boy and when he was sober he made me feel special. To him I was worthwhile. But he wasn't sober often enough and when he was drunk he was mean. But, I figured if he was hurting me he wasn't hurting someone else, and what else was I good for?

One night he attacked my best friend. It was that event that woke me up. I spent the night actually reading the Bible. I read about Rahab, Ruth, King David, and Jesus. I saw God's plan. It was then that God said to me, "Child you are not worthless. You are my precious daughter."

I saw once and for all that God has been working throughout history to show each of us just how important we are. God values and loves each individual. The night I was raped, God was there hurting for me and for the evil the men allowed in their souls.

God takes us where we are: prostitutes, widows, adulterers, murderers, victims, celebrities and He says "I have a bigger plan for you. I want to show you my love. You need it so very much. You are mine."

God loves each of us so much that He died in our place! Not only did he die, but read about how and you will see love and just how priceless you are!

Yes, in this world there is pain, fear, confusion, shame, guilt, darkness, and a whole lotta bad stuff. But we can overcome it by clinging to the promise of Christ. He already defeated it all, and He offers each of us hope. Hope is what I needed most to begin to recover from rape. I needed a reason to go on.

I found that God doesn't see me as worthless, He sees me as priceless. There is no length He won't go to show me, to show YOU! This world has trouble, but after our lives our over we face a glorious future! It is ours for taking, and you know what, there is nothing like hope and security to begin the process of healing.

I encourage you to seek God, to seek Jesus and through Him begin to heal.

-JLP-