Hello everyone!
I have written three blogs concerning the characteristics of abuse seperately: identity theft, control and lies. I'd like to take this blog and pull it all together briefly.
First, you can't have abuse of any kind without all three of those characteristics present. This is the "modus operandi" in Latin or "the way of doing something that is well established" where abuse is concerned. It does not change and the goal is the same - take, take, take and eventually destroy the person being abused. The type of abuse may change, physical vs verbal vs sexual vs emotional, but the way it is done and the goal never do. It's not exactly creative and actually quite predictable if you think about it.
I do want to take a moment to clarify here that the identity theft I am talking about does not mean money - although it can. The identity theft I am talking about is about you as a person - who you really are, your personality, your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and loves - the stuff that makes you tick. The goal of abuse it to steal it all. We all know about lies. We all know what control is in many of its forms - passive, aggressive, emotional, monetary, personal, etc.
My hope is that my blogs have helped many of you who have been abused to understand exactly what was happening to you and why. I want you to know you are NOT the problem. Your abuser is the problem and the evil you must leave behind.
I also hope to shed light on the subject for those who have never experienced abuse and who I hope and pray never do. The one things I want to say here is this: there is no lie, no theft and no control that Jesus and His light can not overcome. There is no lie that He can not dispel, there is no darkness that He can't step into. His Light dispels ALL darkness. His Truth about who you really are defeats all the lies you have ever been told. He can give you back what that person has stolen from you. He can even change your abuser if that person will let Him. He is Redemptive Love. He is the Savior of many things. He sees you. He wants to know you. I invite you today to know Him. I know Him, He is very good and He has walked with me in very dark places.
Love has already won! And Love has won the battle against abuse.
Until next time,
Elizabeth
**To hear more about my story in dark places, see my book The Road Less Traveled: A Story of Love, Pain, Hope and Everything In Between. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Audible.com, Kobo.com and the Kobo app, Goodreads.com, BookHub, Books a Million, and iBooks in the US. In Canada, you can find it !ndigo.com, Russell Books and McNally Robinson Books. Thank you!