The Survivor Series: Rachel's Story
“And then one day, I sat up in bed, and literally said out loud, ‘I’m whole again.’”
+Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse and Domestic Violence+
In this episode, we sat down with Rachel, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and later, a survivor of an abusive marriage. Rachel grew up in a deeply religious context, and when her abuse was disclosed, she was silenced and told to believe that what happened to her was her fault. This belief took root in her, informing her decisions through much of her adult life, and ultimately landing her in an abusive marriage. Rachel's story offers powerful proof of the impact of early childhood messaging.
But she also offers powerful proof that healing is possible. And her healing is brave and it is beautiful. Join Sarah and Rachel as they hold space for the story of this survivor.
A note from Rachel:
Most of what you will hear in this podcast are messy, sometimes downright ugly parts of my story. But it's not the whole story. Someone once asked me if I could change one thing in my life, what would it be? I told them, "Nothing, because it made me who I am today". Yes, some of it has been hard but it was in those moments that I found out how to lean on God. Looking back, I can see His hand guiding me to where I am today.
I have always loved butterflies but I didn't know much about them till we found a crystalis on our garage. I started doing research because I wanted to see the butterfly emerge. I found out that some well intentioned people try to help the butterfly out by cutting or pushing the side of the crystalis open only to find the butterfly dies within minutes. You see, it is the internal struggle, the yearning to break free, that allows the blood to flow to their wings which gives them the ability to fly. That's exactly how I feel. Yes, I've had a few struggles, but now?
I'm ready to fly!!! 🦋