Suffering in Silence (Warning: Adult Subject Matter)

I was driving to a meeting in November. Since the location was about 30 minutes away and I had some spare time, I attempted to call a friend who hadn't been returning my emails or phone calls. I was beginning to worry. Needless to say, I had to pull over when she said her recently turned 10-yr-old, (and my daughter's good friend), had been sexually molested by the host and parent of another child at a 4th grade school cheerleading sleep-over the month prior. My friend hadn't called because they had been trying to cope with the gravity of the situation.

I was devastated for our friend's daughter. I was devastated for her parents and her siblings.  I was mad at the enemy who is the devil and evil one and who roams about like a lion seeking who and what he may steal, kill and destroy. I was mad how he held such a grip of prolonged sin without conviction on this man's life.  My head was filled with questions. "Why Lord?"

A few weeks later as if He didn't know, I told God that in a case unrelated to my friend's, there was a teacher in our same community arrested on charges of molesting 20 girls that was now all over the local news. "Lord," I asked. "What is going on here? How big is this? Where are you???? How can these men be so active in their community, in their churches, accepting awards for their careers with no conviction and continuing their behavior?! Don't they care? Don't you God?"

And while still heartbroken, even for these men's own families and especially their children, I had peace in knowing that God DOES see. No one can fool Him, deceive Him or hide from Him although many have tried, as recorded in God's Word.

In Acts chapter 5, a married couple Ananias and Sapphira both fell dead when they lied to the Holy Spirit about the amount of  money they had collected from the sale of some land. In Genesis chapter 4, Cain tells God he doesn't know where his brother is, only to have the Lord reply that He knows he murdered him and that his brother Abel's blood calls to Him from the ground. A chapter before that in Genesis 3, God asks Adam and Eve where they are although He knows. As you know, they were hiding due to their nakedness that was revealed to them when they disobeyed God and ate of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

God knows and even if it doesn't seem like it to us, He is working behind the scenes for salvation, justice and healing. We just have to trust Him. We just have to trust Him.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse,  please call 1-800-656-HOPE, which is the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network http://www.rainn.org/ I found online. I also heard about the Darkness to Light organization at http://www.d2l.org/site/c.4dICIJOkGcISE/b.6035035/k.8258/Prevent_Child_Sexual_Abuse.htm
Both can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Keep these families in your prayers and talk to your kids about the fallen world we live in so they too, may be harmless as doves, but wise as serpents.

Sitting at the masters feet,
~Clarissa