Horrifically shocking things have come to light at my alma mater. In my hometown.
{I’ll give you three guesses as to what my alma mater is, but you will probably only need one.}
For me, these things defy any form of adequate description. I have no words that can speak to what has happened to the hearts and souls of the victims. All I can do is let the Holy Spirit intercede for my groanings, as I fumble to pray for them and for their families.
But concerning the others involved, I am left aghast at the mammoth level of inaction {or, as it may be, deliberate circumventing of responsibility}. There is an ethical gap spanning a distance I can’t even comprehend. Whether these in-actions stemmed from a desire to protect the university, or were inspired by greed and personal ambition remains to be seen.
Reacting to these things as a mother, I am roused and determined to instill unshakable convictions in my son. That he will not put his trust in chariots or horses {or universities or the names of men} but in the name of the LORD his God – that he would do what he knows to be right, no matter whose name is dragged through the mud.
I am on my face praying that he will love the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his mind and with all his strength so that he would be moved to cry out – without fear - for those whose voices are silenced. That he would love his neighbor as himself and step in to rescue a child at the hands of a monster, because HEAVEN FORBID that he would ever feel the terror of the one who needed the rescuing.
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All men have a sphere of influence, whether small or great. Let us raise our boys, pray over our boys, lay our boys before the Lord and train them diligently, that they may rise take their place in the next generation as men of conviction -
as men of action.
Amen! As a former foster parent who has seen first hand what actions like this does to a child, I know for certain that inaction will get us no where but years and years of sorrow. The wounds run so deeply
I am moved to tears by your words. I have no relationship or connection to Penn State (other than being a football fan), and I am DEVASTATED by what’s taken place — fumbling to pray for the victims and their families is an accurate description, no doubt. And I love your words — that they will put their faith and trust not in coaches or universities, but in the Lord our God — and even more your words about being the voice for the silent. Thank you for your words and encouragement.
Alyssa´s last [type] ..A New Chapter…
A hearty Amen! I am also appalled by all that has come to light! We need to pray for the victims, the perpetrators and most of all our children.
AMEN!
I am married to a “victim” not that there are varying levels of devestation felt as a consequence of this sin perpetuated against a child, my husband’s victimization was at the hands of his own parents. We live daily with the healing power of Jesus Christ and the scars to remind us of the effect that this crime has on not only the body, but the spirit, heart and mind as well. One of the greatest tools we have as parents is prayer. But God also gave us the Holy Spirit and our common sense as well.
One of the greatest pieces of advice I received from one of our counselors was to trust the Holy Spirit and to teach our children to trust Him to guide them as well. Even as young children our children can hear from Him when they are with people who may cause them harm. We can empower them to listn for His voice, and to come to us when He prompts them with feelings such as concern or discomfort or distrust of an adult. We can learn to listen for His promptings as well and acknowledge them and not put it off as children being rude to an adult or disrespectful.
This crime is allowed to occur because the shame associated keeps it in the dark. What is in the dark must come into the light, and as Christians we carry the light, we must become bold to shine it on the scary, ugly, and shameful. We must shine the light to embrace the victims, with the acceptance and love of Christ. We must be sensative that as this story unfolds there are many victims even grown adults long separated from their abuser and the abuse, relive the pain as each victim comes forward and each detail heralded in the media. We might not be Paterno or another adult who is keeping quiet, but given the statistics we each know someone who has been victimized, who still carries the pain and the scars.
May we be sensative to the whispers of the Holy Spirit…
That is a very helpful perspective. Thank you for sharing with us what the counselor shared with you!
Jessica Heights´s last [type] ..Today I’m Going To Talk About Something Terrible
Amen! I myself would be devestated if it were my son. I pray that those silent boys will find courage and those who lifted their voices will continue in their strength.
Knowing how passionate you all are for that team, I have wondered of your views on it. Glad you’re making a positive stand from the devastation.
Kate´s last [type] ..The Story Behind It
Right on. We have to teach our children to first ask “What can I do to help?” instead of “What will happen to ME if I get involved?” I see so much selfishness taught even in supposedly Christian households, and I’m sure that also played a big part in the continued silence.
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