In October I applied to attend “The Stories We Tell,” a testimonial writing workshop for survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and trafficking, facilitated by The Voices and Faces Project. I was accepted and went to the workshop with a mixture of fear and excitement. In my heart I knew this would be an ebenezer for me, “a commemoration of divine assistance,” like Samuel’s stone of help, reminding me that “Thus far the Lord has helped [me].”
Deep inside I knew that being brave and taking this step would mean that my life would change. I would need to write more, and take risks by submitting my work in different places. I would feel more confident to share the hard stuff because as a workshop alum, I would take the honor and the accomplishment seriously and become more outspoken about my own abuse and want to be more involved with the cause of protecting and supporting survivors and calling attention to the the dangers of rape culture and its effects on all of us.
I overused a word in the previous paragraph on purpose. It was the only word that captured my meaning. Completing this workshop called me to become more, more healed, more whole, more confident, more aware, more real, more of me. More of myself. To become more fully who I am without having to be burdened by the identity of who I was and what was done to me.
In grammar the present participle refers to things that are still happening. To make the present participle, the ending -ing is added to the infinitive. The infinitive here is heal. And adding –ing to it means that it is still happening.
Thus far the Lord has helped me. He is helping me, and will continue to help me. Healing isn’t static; it’s continuous, perpetual, persistent. It doesn’t let you stay where you are, healing is still happening, always calling you to more.
I’m part of an organization called Threads of Compassion, a loosely connected group of survivors of sexual violence who want to offer comfort and support to recent victims. The idea is simple. Anyone whose life has been affected by sexual assault or abuse is welcome to knit or crochet a scarf which will then be given to a victim of sexual violence when they enter the hospital for emergency treatment. We have a chapter in Chicago and several others around the country, including a few countries. If you knit or know someone who does, please pass our name along. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. Check out the hashtag #TheStoriesWeTell.
I am honored to be featured in the Voices and Faces Project March newsletter. I wrote about my experience in the workshop as a way to describe it to people who may want to attend. You can click on the images below to read the article or go here to read the text version: The Stories We Tell: Our Truest Rescue.
The Stories We Tell workshop is happening in six cities in 2015: Prince Edward Island, Chicago, Milwaukee, Evanston, Toronto, and New York City. If you or someone you know could benefit from this workshop, email testimonial (at) voicesandfaces.org for more information.
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