To Trust Anew

God knew your heart was to come to Him,
You were sick and tired of a life so grim.
You found a church, where you thought love did flow,
A haven of safety—a place to grow.

A place where you expected they’d take care of your heart
Not a place to be taken for granted or ripped apart
A place to be respected, no matter where you’ve been
A place to be loved and not treated mean.

You placed your trust in one ordained for His work
Not thinking he would be capable of such deep hurt.
You thought it was placed in one looking out for your best,
But it became trust betrayed, creating a mess.

By the time it became evident—his intentions for you—
You’d been groomed and left not knowing what to do.
“Could this be happening? Is it just a bad dream?
This haven of safety is not what it seemed.”

When you reached out to others they did not understand,
“You’re mistaken, you’ve misunderstood him—He’s a Godly man.”
They saw the public side of him, without any big flaws,
Not the side you saw—displayed only behind closed doors.

Now that you want to be heard, for the truth to be known,
Many different colours of the church folk are shown.
Some have blamed, belittled, scapegoated and worse,
Treated you as if diseased, or have some sort of a curse.

God knows your heart—this was not out of hate,
It was done to protect others from a similar fate.
Not done with malice but with a cry from the heart—
The price you have paid has torn you apart.

A single mum, with three teens in tow,
You thought you had found a spiritual home,
A best friend in the wife—a man old enough to be your dad,
What went so wrong? How did things get so bad?

When a heart seeks to fill, from its own broken well
Many lives are affected and living becomes hell,
The haven of safety hence received a huge blow,
The wounds run deep ‘n healing will be slow.

God has the power to replace what you’ve lost
He is in the business of wearing the cost
He wants to give His strength to you,
To help you, to heal you to trust anew.
Reach out to Him—He’s always been there,
Reach out to Him—He really does care.

Author: A Friend of a Victim