With the slow crawl of each sun, the shackles loosened

While exploring the stark, yet impactful articles on cryingoutforjustice.blog, a chilling realization washed over me. The digital pages seemed to echo a harsh but life saving truth: Brandon and the church had treated Bethany and me with a profound absence of warmth, their actions like a cold, unyielding stone against our skin. Their words, sharp and accusatory, aimed to twist my core beliefs, planting seeds of guilt that felt like a breathless ache, driving me towards a forced submission. Their manipulative tactics left me feeling inexplicably responsible for my own suffering, a bitter taste in my mouth, and whispered the insidious lie that I was not worthy of seeking.

Harsh words, like the clang of metal on metal, reverberated in my mind. Each sharp barb, every disappointed glare, tightened like cold, iron chains, stealing the air from my lungs. Yet, with the slow crawl of each sun, those shackles loosened, a sliver of light piercing the gloom, allowing hope to seep in like warm sunlight. Standing before the bathroom mirror, a moment of stillness, then a smile bloomed, soft as a rose unfurling. My fingers brushed the cool glass, lingering on the gentle gleam in my own reflection. For the first time, I saw a solid, unwavering strength, not the jagged edges of flaws, and a comforting warmth spread through my chest, a soft whisper escaping my lips, “You are enough.”

This post was written by The Kindred System For Marielle Krogh.