If It Wasn't For God

Dorothy was the oldest of seven girls. Her parents often used her and her sisters in Satanic rituals, sexual pleasures to men willing to pay, and physical/sexual abuse from both of her mother and father. The abuse stopped when her father died when she was eighteen years old. Her mother past away years later from cancer.

I cried as I listened to her life story.  The horror, pain, sadness,  and abuse these girls had experienced were things that were only in fictional novels and movies. Surely not in real life? Parents aren't really that mean? But this lady sat beside me sharing her story. The room was silent. There wasn't a dry eye in the room, except for Dorothy's.

I couldn't begin to imagine her pain. I didn't really want to have a picture of this horrible image in my mind. All I could do was cry. I cried for three days. I cried every time I seen her. I cried every time I thought about her.

Dorothy sat in her chair with a large blanket wrapped around her.  She was cold. She was tired. She was hiding.

Her shirt was covered with her blood. Her arms were wrapped in bandages. When Dorothy gets overwhelmed with the memories and nightmares she cuts herself.

Under the blanket......
                 Under the bandages.....
                                  Were over forty cuts. Self inflicted cuts on top of multiple scars from past cuts.
                                               
She spoke of her abuse in a monotone voice.

No emotions,
                             No expressions,
                                                                No tears.

After a few days, I felt I could talk to Dorothy without crying. I approached  Dorothy and asked if I could sit with her. She smiled and was delighted (I'd like to think she was delighted.)  to have company.

We chatted about our children, grand children, jobs, and the weather.

Then I stepped out on a limb and asked.....

"How do you feel about God?"

Dorothy didn't know about God growing up. Didn't know about heaven. Didn't know about healthy family relationships. She thought every family lived the way her and her sisters did.

After her father past away, Dorothy, started seeing other people and their families. She read all she could about religion and this God she finally heard about.

Dorothy said something that I was not expecting. She straightened up in her seat. The big blanket was dropped down. She looked at me, with a glow on her face, and she smiled and said,.....

"IF IT WASN'T FOR GOD I wouldn't be here."

Really?

In spite all the Devil had done he could not  keep God out of Dorothy's life.

 In spite of the pain.....
                                 In spite of the abuse.....
                                                                 In spite of the scars.....

Dorothy found peace. She found it in the Peace Maker. We serve a Mighty God my friends.

IF IT WASN'T FOR GOD I would be going to hell.
IF IT WASN'T FOR GOD I would not have peace.
IF IT WASN'T FOR GOD I would not have forgiveness.
IF IT WASN'T FOR GOD I would not have joy.

Satan was defeated when Dorothy accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. Dorothy still struggles. But now she knows where to come for help. Dorothy knows that God will never leave her, never abuse her, and He will NEVER stop loving her.

IF IT WASN'T FOR GOD.........where would you be?