tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post8889939868583829634..comments2024-02-17T17:59:25.010+10:00Comments on Christian Writers Downunder: Me TooJeanette O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-44499544267235717042017-11-14T16:38:22.681+10:002017-11-14T16:38:22.681+10:00Melinda,
Thank you for your words and your braver...Melinda,<br /><br />Thank you for your words and your bravery. Your story is such a testimony to God's tender love for us and his grace that holds us in the midst of disaster. The world, the church, needs your story. <br /><br />Praise God for prompting you to write this, and for your willingness to listen to that whisper and to obey it. May God's strength fill you and his joy sustain your writing. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08712903549387092844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-49636492547499422642017-10-30T12:30:06.744+10:002017-10-30T12:30:06.744+10:00Thank you for writing this. #metoo
Yet it is still...Thank you for writing this. #metoo<br />Yet it is still a struggle.<br />And where do you turn? <br />When a family member is involved it is difficult. Can I send you a private message?rosiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00303079027488437875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-75872875179456778162017-10-27T11:45:59.878+10:002017-10-27T11:45:59.878+10:00Thanks for stopping by, Susan. What you say about ...Thanks for stopping by, Susan. What you say about the shame belonging to the perpetrator and not the victim is absolutely true. Sadly,at this point in time it doesn't play out that way. The more voices we add publicly, the more 'revealed' it will become. Hidden things certainly do have huge amounts of power. Bless you.Miss Minhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908243287393389500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-16919937685179340612017-10-26T23:38:35.389+10:002017-10-26T23:38:35.389+10:00The shame should be on the perpetrator, not the vi...The shame should be on the perpetrator, not the victim. However, sadly it is not. An added burden to the overwhelming violation. Thank you for 'airing' it. Hidden it has more power.Susan Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07187345684944561717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-27542603333094034342017-10-26T19:20:30.956+10:002017-10-26T19:20:30.956+10:00Thank you for your beautiful and loving response a...Thank you for your beautiful and loving response and prayer. I just hope that as we come forward, one by one, with our stories, it will encourage other women to do the same ... and to lose the toxic shame we unfairly wear.Miss Minhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908243287393389500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-73036557387948331082017-10-26T19:19:01.060+10:002017-10-26T19:19:01.060+10:00My goodness, Rita. I can't even imagine what t...My goodness, Rita. I can't even imagine what that medical missionary and her fellow sisters in Christ went through. It's a horror story. I was going to say a movie should be made to help shed the light on these tragic events - but I fear it would be sexualized and otherwise trivialized by mainstream media. But in the right, sensitive hands, I wonder? And I agree wholeheartedly with what you've said about our church leaders not even having the courage to preach about it. That seems to hold true for so many men - secular as well. It seems as if they're terrified of being thought badly of by the brotherhood. Can't bring each other to account, after all! They might end up being derided and abused themselves - the way women have always been. Thank you for your insights ... and I particularly love that you draw attention to the way God views us - yes, covered in pure robes of righteousness. That thought alone is enough to bring some healing tears. Bless you.<br />Miss Minhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908243287393389500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-10156474394051792152017-10-26T17:20:21.070+10:002017-10-26T17:20:21.070+10:00Thank you for your honesty and rawness. It is so n...Thank you for your honesty and rawness. It is so needed yet so hard, so it is brave women like you that make it easier for others to come forward. Praying that His gentle hand of healing is over you always and that through your testimony, others will come to encounter Him. Leila Halawehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00727515198209745876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-44579018198327372472017-10-26T16:10:00.596+10:002017-10-26T16:10:00.596+10:00Thank you dear Melinda for opening your heart. As ...Thank you dear Melinda for opening your heart. As a young Christian I was naive and believed God wouldn't let it happen to a Christian. And then I heard the testimony of a medical missionary from Africa where there was a tribal revolt. It ended with her and a group of nuns taken as ?wives? Every day she ministered to these ladies and said only faith in God kept her from losing her mind. It is staggering how brutally women have been treated and Hollywood has a lot to answer for. Also so sad & horrifying at the covering up by church leaders. It's a case of 'sweep it under the carpet'. Too embarrassing to deal with. Actually they don't have the moral fortitude to even preach against it. Thank the dear Lord He does not see us how we feel about ourselves but sees us covered in pure robes of righteousness. Rita Galiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14586506137798711397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-44225182654193779042017-10-26T15:25:54.173+10:002017-10-26T15:25:54.173+10:00I honestly would never have got through some of my...I honestly would never have got through some of my experiences with Jesus and have no idea how women who don't have our faith cope. We all need to be believed and loved through our pain; not rejected because of it. Thank you for your continued support; for uplifting me on so many occasions. My sisters in Christ mean the world to me. I truly hope we can keep the dialogue going throughout our Church communities and be part of that huge wave of healing that God desperately wants for us. Big hugs.Miss Minhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908243287393389500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-54578468374369150602017-10-26T15:20:40.980+10:002017-10-26T15:20:40.980+10:00Ah, the silence. Yes ... the silence is meant to p...Ah, the silence. Yes ... the silence is meant to prevent us from speaking up and being real. It prevents us from becoming effective vessels for God; stops us in our tracks. I think there is a huge spiritual oppression involved - one that operates right within our Church community. We need much prayer and wisdom. Thank you fro your insights.Miss Minhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908243287393389500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-84745905610538420272017-10-26T15:17:42.708+10:002017-10-26T15:17:42.708+10:00Yes, God weeps for us, I think, Jo-Anne. I'm s...Yes, God weeps for us, I think, Jo-Anne. I'm sure He truly desires healing for His daughters and accountability for His sons. If half the body is wounded, then the whole body can't function effectively. It's time. Bless you.Miss Minhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908243287393389500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-40376295879259339202017-10-26T15:15:36.907+10:002017-10-26T15:15:36.907+10:00I'm grieved to hear you've been through th...I'm grieved to hear you've been through this too and am quite sure you did nothing wrong. The toxic shame and the fear of being disbelieved and judged keeps us all from speaking up in a timely way. We're effectively silenced, even in our own church community. May God bring healing to his daughters and hold his sons to account where and when necessary. If the pen is truly mightier than the sword, then we have to use our words to fight this injustice. Big hugs for you.Miss Minhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908243287393389500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-51209776570950256942017-10-26T15:11:45.630+10:002017-10-26T15:11:45.630+10:00Sending you love, my sister in Christ. I'll ke...Sending you love, my sister in Christ. I'll keep us all in my prayers. I hope you're in a safe space now and able to heal from the wounds.Miss Minhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03908243287393389500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-39943016824585506612017-10-26T09:51:38.338+10:002017-10-26T09:51:38.338+10:00#Me too ...
Thank you, Melinda. #Me too ...<br />Thank you, Melinda. Deirdrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11139202397078133427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-72879471095554494122017-10-26T09:48:59.608+10:002017-10-26T09:48:59.608+10:00Medlinda, thanks for speaking up about such a diff...Medlinda, thanks for speaking up about such a difficult issue. I too have typed #Me Too (in a comment rather than the post - because even though I did nothing wrong on each occasion, I still feel embarrassed and vulnerable to share the experiences and rarely speak about and even then it took me years). As writers (and bloggers) one thing we can do is give voice to the voiceless - or speak up ourselves. And as Christians (for we are the church), we can stand up for the vulnerable and call wrongdoing what it is.Jeanette O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-73252507285121726612017-10-26T09:41:58.068+10:002017-10-26T09:41:58.068+10:00Thank you, Melinda, for your very brave, passionat...Thank you, Melinda, for your very brave, passionate, articulate post. I can feel your pain through your words and also the pain of others whose lives you have touched and read about. This whole issue must so grieve God's heart.Jo-Anne Berthelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775045057529728396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-88874425423142005672017-10-26T08:41:51.290+10:002017-10-26T08:41:51.290+10:00Thank you for sharing and for writing about such a...Thank you for sharing and for writing about such an important topic. We don’t like to admit it, but it’s true that being a Christian doesn’t give you immunity from experiencing sexual harassment or assault. Silence is also a problem. I don’t know how people cope without Jesus’ healing and love. A brave and true post, Melinda. ❤️👏Elaine Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15724607299832750567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-71113204498615796892017-10-26T08:39:38.564+10:002017-10-26T08:39:38.564+10:00Thank you Melinda for highlighting something that ...Thank you Melinda for highlighting something that needs to be brought to the light. I grieve with you and with others who have faced such trauma and are living with the scars of it. Thanks so much for your honesty and for telling it like it is. May the conversation you've brought to the open be one that is helpful and healing. Love your words at the end about coming with it to Jesus. He is after all our Only Hope. The world can be a terrible place. Unsafe. Brutal. Traumatic. Thank God we have a Saviour. Thank you for sharing so skilfully and for opening our eyes and heqrts to the enormity of the problem. God bless you dear friend.Anusha Atukoralahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00859837228901127984noreply@blogger.com