FINDING SOLACE THROUGH CHRIST
“BLESSED BE God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
AS POPULAR are the lyrics ‘If it had not been for the Lord on my side,
where would I be?’ so dear and relatable are they to Tiffany Green*, who encountered not one, but several brutal sexual injustices.
The first, as she recalled, happened when she was 13 years old – just on the brink of adolescence when the youthful mind is usually still trying to figure out the wonders of the teenaged body.
Describing the event as awful and painful, Green said: “I was beaten badly by the rapist, and I thought at the moment I would die. I was punched, slapped, beaten with a knife handle and with a gun, then the rapist forced himself on me. The pain I experienced was unimaginable.”
It was only a few months later that the young woman at the time had to relive the trauma – a reminder that was delivered by the body of her mother’s lover.
“At age 14, my stepfather raped me one night at home when my mother was at church. He, too, punched and slapped me up. No one believed me back then, and my mother and other family members said it was my fault. I only had myself ... I had nobody else,” Green said.
And as if her life was not traumatic enough, the young woman told Family
& Religion that she was thrown out of her mother’s house and sent to live with her father, where she was again sexually molested by one of her brothers then later, fondled by the other. Her stepbrother also joined in on the sexual discrimination.
“They all used similar terms – ’nobody would believe you’ – and this went on and on until I was 16 years old when I got really rebellious. During this time, I fought a lot, cursed a lot and would run away,” she said, adding that she also recieved corporal punishment on several occasions.
Though Green admitted that she had lost the will to live, she was pleased to share with others who may connect with her story that it was only through Christ that she received her redemption.
“I overcame through Jesus Christ. I had nobody but Him. I remember I used to cry and talk to Christ very often. Even when I was trying to kill myself, I remember telling Him that I had no reason to live.
“My advice to persons is if no-one believe you, Christ does. So talk to Him even if you think He is not listening. He will comfort your mind, body, spirit, and soul when you least expect. He will come through for you. I never got any counselling, but Christ took care of me and still is. I could have been mad, but He kept me. To God be the glory!” she exclaimed.