Our Voice is God-Given. It exudes from the very breath of God who breathed us into being. May we use it wisely. Jodie Stevens.
Many people will say, “I am a voice for the voiceless”. However, here at Acres of Hope we are empowering women to use their own voices. We teach them the power of using their own words to overcome the years of being silenced. They have remained a lock-box of secrets, as the actions done in the dark remain hidden. They have been engaged by tactics of fear, and to teach them to use their own voices is one of the bridges to setting them free from the cycles of abuse.
Consider the following journal entry from a Woman of Hope,
Why we remained silent- A Monster of Rage
We feared the night. Feared the sound of our abusers steps. We feared our lives because they were threatened daily with death. We hid behind bruises, behind tears, behind walls. We entertained the thoughts that we didn’t matter at all. To be beaten does more than bruise the skin. It’s someone looking you in the eyes saying you’re not worthy externally or within. After gaining the courage to reach out for help, we were returned to our prisons of rejection, fear, and accusation. So we learned not to reach out, and learned to be silent. To prevent the glass house from shattering, and our predators became more violent. When we stood before judges, stood before courts, we were stripped of our children when they said on their own they cannot provide or support. We can’t bare leaving our children like we don’t care. So we wept before falling asleep to rest before the pain continues. You fight each day to wrestle the despair. Silence is a prison we cannot uncage. No one comes to turn on the light in the dark where the bogus gentle soul is truly a monster in the dark.
Allowing those who have seen the darkest of places, and behaviors to find and use their voices is one of the keys to seeing dysfunction end. It is the plalces where abuse is revealed, healing can happen, and as one of the root causes of homelessness, another cycle is broken. At Acres of Hope we help women and children find their voices. That’s exactly what happens, they not only learn to speak for themselves, rather they began speaking of their transformation and it inspires others to become brave enough to speak as well. This not only changes life for them, but can be the foundation of change for generations who are, have been, and are to come.
To join the mission of breaking the cycles of the silenced,
Visit: acresofhopeonline.org or call: 530-878-8030