Survivors need love and support, and to feel physically and emotionally safe before change can begin. This safety extends to their spiritual well-being. Abusers convince survivors that they are worthless, and that God doesn’t love them. They need to be encouraged by the truth of God’s love—that He died to redeem them because of that love.
As witnesses, recognizing abuse or knowing how to help a survivor is challenging; it makes us uncomfortable. But being able to push past the discomfort and reach out can save lives.
Someone once said, "You will know you've found your calling from God if the cause you are working for brings you to tears." I have found this to be very true in my life, and that is why my family has become involved in foster care. Every time I think about kids who are hurting, neglected, or abused, it brings me to tears, and I feel compelled to do something to help. I feel moved to be part of the solution.
"You will know you've found your calling from God if the cause you are working for brings you to tears."
Volunteering is about more than just giving up a few hours or days of your time. It's a way for you to bring glory to God by utilizing the skills and talents He has blessed you with. You get to connect with people and cultures outside your own, and in the process, discover more about the world God created. Volunteering is an exciting experience that carries with it a multitude of blessings and memories for the person who decides to serve their neighbor in Christ-like love. We want you to have the best volunteering experience possible, which is why we have pulled together our top ten tips for volunteering.
You, your family, and your church can play a very important role in providing life-changing support to foster families and foster children.
Not everyone will be able to foster or be a foster parent, but everyone can be a part of making sure that no abused or neglected child goes without a loving support system in their time of need. God has given us the opportunity to share Jesus with the hurting world through a partnership with our foster families.
Will you join us?
When I tell people what I do for a living, they usually say, “Wow! I could never do that. It must be so hard!” I always respond with, “Oh, but it’s so rewarding.”
Every time this conversation topic comes up, I am struck by how intense people’s reactions are. Few people believe they would be capable of handling the kind of work that I do, and I want to change that.
I am a mental health counselor who specializes in working with people who have experienced sexual assault or intimate partner violence at some point in their life...
