“You deserve restoration because you are God’s treasured child.” Please do not say this to a survivor unless you really believe it. (And if you cannot sincerely say it, please pray until you can.) But if you mean it, say it – as often as you can, to as many survivors as you can.

We deserve restoration for just one reason: because God loves us, as we are and where we are. The Creator made us to be honored and treasured, like all other people. When we were abused as children, God’s will was tragically ignored. So God desires to make it right.

Be aware that restoration looks like different things for different people. But at a minimum, for a survivor, it means that they are truly seen, heard, and believed.  It means that God is making things right for them, even though it’s a slow and often invisible process. It means that evil cannot win.

Photo by Farid Askerov on Unsplash