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Dear Friend, I Know That You Are Weary And Worn | Heather Elizabeth
Dear Friend, I Know That You Are Weary And Worn

Dear Friend,
 
I know that you are weary and worn.
 
You have tried and tried.
 
You have done everything that your friends, family, and church has told you to do.
 
You’ve forgiven, submitted, prayed, served, cried, and waited.
 
There may be moments or teasers of change, but underneath it all, you know his heart is the same.
 
He is one person in public and another person in private.
 
He charms others, and yet the words he uses with you cut like a knife.
 
He serves others with a smile but when you ask for his help with the house or the kids, the look he shoots you sends shivers up your spine.
 
Regardless of how he treats you, he still expects you to be available to him whenever he wants to have sex.
 
You know there will be hell to pay if you do not give in, so you lay there and take it.
 
You feel your spirit fade a little more each time he treats you like a prostitute.
 
You know he’s addicted to porn, and you feel that his addiction is somehow you fault and your responsibility to fix.
 
He’s known in the community as a stand-up guy.
 
His co-workers like him.
 
The neighbors like him.
 
Your family would pick him over you any day.
 
Other women tell you how lucky you are to have him as your husband, one even told you that she “adores” him.
 
The pastor is his best bud.
 
He holds a position of leadership in the church, and you feel sick every time he steps up to the podium or straps on his guitar to lead worship.
 
You’ve gone to the church leaders for help, and they end up siding with him.
 
Somehow, according to them, his abuse and adultery are your fault.
 
You need to forgive more.
 
You need to pray more.
 
You need to submit more.
 
You need to nag less.
 
You need to give him more sex.
 
Dear one, I am here to say that none of this is your fault and none of those things will change him.
 
You are beautiful, brave, strong, and kind.

God loves you and He wants you to be safe and well.
 
God loves you, a person, more than He loves your marriage (an institution).
 
Abuse is so much more than broken bones and bruises (there are thirteen different patters/systems of abuse and they are all vile in God’s eyes).
 
If you are in an abusive marriage, marriage counseling is unwise, unsafe and unethical.
 
God sees all, hears all and knows all.
 
You do not have to prove to Him that you have been abused.
 
You are worthy of love, safety, honor, respect, and fidelity.
 
You story matters.

We invite you to join our community at Held & Healed: Christian Women Rebuilding After Abuse.

If you are ready to dive deeper and explore the truths shared here, along with many others, I invite you to join our next session of Twelve Truths Groups Coaching.

Learn more here.

You are not alone.
 
We see you.
 
We hear you.
 
We believe you.


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My Story

 
Held & Healed.

I have always had a sense of Jesus' presence in my life and have felt held by Him.

Healed is what I will be when I meet Him face to face. 

The here and the now is the "&," as I am learning, healing, and growing every day.

I am a survivor of abuse of every kind, in childhood and adulthood.

In 2015, I was stricken with a mysterious and terrifying virus that "woke up" many other viruses in my body.

Since that time, I have been fiercely fighting for my healing and the healing of others.

I was also diagnosed with c-PTSD, as a result of lifelong trauma and abuse.

As I began to search for healing resources for myself, I knew that this journey wasn't just about me.

I created a group, Held & Healed: Christian Women Rebuilding After Abuse, which has grown to almost 4,000 members.

I launched the Held & Healed podcast which is a resource of resources. 

If you are a Christian woman who is rebuilding your life after abuse, I invite you to join me on this healing journey. 

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