From Shame to Victory (Part 3): My Miserable Teens

Rhonda’s Story

In my mid-teens, my view of myself became more distorted. I wanted to be wanted and I wanted to be loved. I turned to relationships, alcohol and drugs, and this left me feeling even more empty than I did before. I became very boisterous, very opinionated and I projected a false sense of security to hide how I really felt.

When I was 16 years old, I was intimately involved with an 18-year-old. We dated for over a year. When I tried to break up with him, he threatened to kill himself. Out of guilt, I remained in the relationship for a little while longer until I could figure out a way to break it off. I told him again I didn’t want to see him anymore, and he pulled a shotgun out and put it to his mouth and said if I broke up with him, he would kill himself. I took off running down the stairs of his apartment and he proceeded to chase me down the main street of the small town where I lived. As I ran down the street, I saw people I knew and screamed for help! I thought he was going to shoot me in the back. In fear, they turned and fled. I ran into the restaurant where I worked. I was hysterical and my boss grabbed and took me to the back of the restaurant. I told him what happened and he called my house and my brother came and got me.

A few weeks later when I was biking home after work, the boyfriend that I tried to break up with, grabbed me off my bike and chocked me as he told me he loved me and couldn’t live without me. I somehow broke free, grabbed my bike and raced home as fast as I could. I told my parents, and at first they seemed upset, but then they just dismissed it. And the ex-boyfriend that had frightened me so badly would call my mom and she would tell me he was sorry and to give him another chance. But I didn’t want anything to do with him. A few weeks later, I came home from work one night and saw him sitting in the basement drinking a beer with my dad. I was shocked! My dad looked at me and said, “Tony’s going teach me to play guitar!”

 

Part 4 Click Here.

 

My life Would Be Forever Changed (Part 2): My Miraculous Rescue

April’s Story

I could hear the police outside, yelling to the rapist that they knew I was in the apartment! Within moments they broke in and took him into custody. My cousin and brother came running in to release me from this torture. My cousin grabbed me and ran home. It was VICTORY! I was immediately placed into the tub, and there was a detective taking pictures and asking questions. I felt that I was rescued from the pit of hell.

I was taken to the hospital to be examined, which was awkward and very uncomfortable. I was in shock, in pain and bleeding. I would have to have surgery to repair what was damaged. While lying in the hospital bed, I fell asleep only to be woken by a dream of all that happened. It’s as if I just relived the whole experience. I just wanted to feel normal. I just wanted to go back to school to be with my friends and feel like a 12-year-old girl again. I no longer felt Innocent, pure or clean. My thoughts were corrupted. My life was turned upside down. I wondered, how was I going to do this life anymore? I remember an outpouring of love from my 6th grade peers. There was one thing that helped me. I wish I could say it was Jesus, but I didn’t know him yet. But I was picked up at the school by a detective and brought to a counseling office to talk about what had happened. I believe the counseling helped me sort out my feelings about the experience. A lot was erased from my memory, which I believe was God’s way of protecting me.

Read PART 1 here.

Read PART 3 here.