Dear Friend,

The contents within these pages will help you in the weeks and months to come. Take it one day at a time, do not be in a rush, and know that you are not alone. There are multitudes of people who have experienced a trauma similar to the one you have endured, although your experience is as unique as you are.

 

 

No one person can really know your personal, deep sense of pain or terror. But, many do thoroughly understand your desire to have victory and to heal.

 

 

It is also important to remember that trauma recovery and the healing process are just that: a process. Be patient with God, as He gives you the time and space that you need to absorb all that has happened to you, and all that He wants to do in you, and most importantly, through you.

 

 

Your destination in Jesus has not changed. You are still His chosen child and He still has a plan and a hope for your future. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us ~ "...I have it all planned out ~ plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." From The Message.

 

 

You are not responsible for what has happened to you. You may want to find a reason for the attack against you, i.e., wondering if you might have put yourself in harm’s way. This kind of thinking can be a normal part of the healing process in the early stage. It is our mind’s way of trying to be safer in the present tense. Looking for a more concrete explanation for the event, we think we can then avoid those unsafe situations in the future, thus protecting ourselves.

 

 

In as much as finding a rationale is a normal way of thinking soon after a trauma, it is not productive long-term. A healthier way is to look beyond the temptation

to take even a small part of the liability. Remember that ALL of the blame belongs to the perpetrator.

 

 

The perpetrator may have placed his ill-resolved past on you. But the blood of Jesus washes all of that away; yes, even those things that have been done to us by others. Asking Jesus for His perfect wholeness and His blood-washed cleansing can become a major part of your

healing journey.

 

 

This is a walk that you have not chosen. Even so, it is

a path that you are on. Let it be a path of healing and victory, pushing beyond every temptation to cave in to the enemy of our souls; that is not an option.

A community resource for you is available through the Valley Trauma Counseling Center in Van Nuys, CA.

 

 

The 24hr hotline for the San Fernando Valley: 

 (818) 886-0453

 

 

The 24hr hotline for the Santa Clarita Valley:

(661) 253-0258

A trained advocate will field your comments and questions and will be able to connect you with a trained crisis counselor. The first 6-8 weeks are free.

 

After that period of time, if you choose to continue with that counselor, a fee will be charged. Otherwise, you can then move on to a Christian counselor who is experienced in sexual assault therapy.

You will make it, and you are victorious.