Guest Blog: Kathryn Forsyth
Clear Up Spiritual Confusion After Domestic Abuse
Domestic violence and abuse have long-lasting physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences. It's easy to find mental health resources to help with healing the emotional damage of domestic abuse and violence. However, finding resources for clearing up the spiritual confusion when one's faith is used as a weapon is much more complicated.
My Experience with Spiritual Confusion
I lived in an abusive marriage for 21 years. I had six children with him. We left in 2006, and I finally had the time and energy to get serious about healing after my youngest child graduated from high school in 2018.
Before that, I was in survival mode. Something about working full-time as a registered nurse, being the single parent of six children who weren't coping well, and dealing with the ongoing cancer treatment of my youngest child took up all my time and energy. I stuffed my emotions down just to get through the day, only to have them haunt me at night. I spent most of my days sleep-deprived.
Maybe you can relate to my feelings of immense guilt, shame, and of being a failure. I felt abandoned by God because life was so painfully difficult. I was angry at God for allowing my children to be forced to go on visitation with their abusive father. When they were with their father, I feared for their safety.
I felt judged at church and unloved by God, so I didn't attend church or even open my Bible for several years after leaving my abusive ex. Hope felt impossible. My youngest child was in first grade when we left our abusive home. I knew I would have to put up with my ex's torment until that child graduated from high school.
Health Issues
I didn't think I would even live to see him graduate, especially when I started to have frequent lung infections and hospital stays. By early 2015, I was no longer able to work. I had little hope for my future.
But God didn't leave me in survival mode or a place of confusion and hopelessness. Especially over the last four years, He has revealed His lavish love for me and all His abused daughters. He longs to take care of you, too.
Healing Spiritual Confusion
As I was healing, God nudged me to write down what He was showing me. Shattered to Whole: Devotions for Healing from Domestic Abuse came from what God showed me about myself, the devil, and people. God is healing my heart and giving me hope again.
I share the things He's shown me in the hope they will also heal your heart. I wish this resource had been available to me years ago.
Shattered to Whole contains 60 devotions divided into five sections, covering: · Untangling confusion about God’s love
· Untangling lies about yourself, God, and others
· Grieving losses
· Forgiving yourself and others
· Hoping again
I share my honest feelings, fears, and questions in these pages, so you'll be brave to share your genuine feelings, fears, and questions with your Heavenly Father. I found the most fantastic acceptance, compassion, patience, and gentleness when I shared my honest feelings with Him. He is the opposite of what the evil one wants you to think He is.
You won't find any pat answers in this book. God isn't done writing our stories. Yet God is good even when our stories aren't tied up into neat, happy bows. We are works in progress. We still need to complete masterpieces.
Do you have questions about Shattered to Whole? Please send them to me at kforsyth@upbeatliving.net
If you wish to order Shattered to Whole, you can do so here: Amazon.
You can read more about healing from domestic abuse on my blog: https:/www.upbeatliving.net
Finally, I've created a Spotify playlist of healing music to accompany this book. If you send your order number to me at kforsyth@upbeatliving.net, I'll send the link to you.
JOIN Kathyrn and me on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, at 6:30 pm Mountian time on the Beacon of Light Podcast, and we will share this healing light with you!
