Thank God for life
Looking back “Sam” wonders how he survived. As a child, he experienced neglect, emotional mistreatment, and severe beatings that left him bruised in body and spirit. The harshest violence came from his father – all the more damaging because his father was a leader in Sam’s church.
Both parents seemed overwhelmed by their lives: caring for their children, giving of themselves to the church, trying to pull together enough money to keep everyone going. That wasn’t an excuse for the abuse, Sam knew. But over the years he learned that his parents’ shortcomings helped explain his tormented childhood.
The Close to Home series is designed to help Christian caregivers invite others to journey toward wholeness.
Ways to use the booklets:
* Offer them and discuss them in your pastoral care visits.
* Display them in the church foyer, counseling office, or even a restroom.
* Give them to loved ones of those who suffer, so that they can be informed.
* Distribute them as conversation-starters for adult education or support groups.
