I need to be met where I am.
I need you to accept me for who I am.
I need to feel whole, not broken, damaged or contaminated.
I need to be and feel valued.
I need you not to make me feel judged. I already feel shame which is not mine to hold.
I need you not to turn away from me because of the way I have coped with my trauma.
I need you not to make me feel rejected or alienated, either consciously or unconsciously.
I need to be treated as an equal of worth in all aspects, including the life of the church and society.
I need to be able to retain my own identity at all times.
I need you to see God’s image in me.
Each person bears God’s image and each one of us is precious in God’s sight. We should always recognise the innate worth of those we encounter. They do not need to act a certain way or believe a certain thing, they are worthy of love and respect just as they are. Jesus recognises that being valued helps to cast out fear. Abuse can make us question our value, so affirmation and empowerment are crucial for our remaking after this experience.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/