‘God Has Heard Our Cry — We are Not Alone’

By Janet Boynes Published on November 15, 2017

The dark secrets of sexual abuse have plagued Hollywood for years, laying buried within the entertainment industry, and only seem to have been whispered amongst peers. But as the dawn comes after midnight, so must these secrets come to light.

The perpetrators of these immoral acts are a growing list, and by no means limited to Hollywood, but include other figures in various aspects of society. For years they lived as kings having their victims powerless because they were too afraid to expose them. Some may even have forgotten their acts thinking that their crime will go unpunished. God, however, has not forgotten — and He has heard the victims cry.

A Wave of Emboldened Victims

We saw in recent weeks the name of Harvey Weinstein splashed across every news media and his once-close friends distancing themselves from him, because of his involvement in sexual abuse of many women. Now other names are taking center stage. Kevin Spacey, who recently announced his sexual preference for the gay lifestyle, has had many male accusers come forward about unwelcomed sexual advances and abuse. USA Today reports that there have been 15 accusers thus far. Then there is the Mexican-American comedian, Louis C.K., who has now been accused of sexual misconduct. New York Times has since reported the comedian confirming these accusations.

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Many of the victims have found their voice and have felt emboldened to come forward after the Harvey Weinstein exposure. Recently Aly Raisman, the USA Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, shared her frightening experience of sexual abuse on CBS’s 60 Minutes. Other victims such as Anthony Edwards and Corey Feldman to name a few, have also publicly shared their heart-rending stories of childhood sexual abuse from mentors who they trusted.

These exposures are long overdue, and I want to turn my heart and focus on those of us who have been sexually abused and continue to suffer in silence out of fear or shame. Those who have been sexually abused, both male and female, whether it was as a child or adult, may carry this ugly and painful secret of their abuse for decades without a word to anyone.

You Deserve to Live an Abuse-Free Life

Many never reveal what happened to them at all, and few file charges. I (Janet), a survivor of childhood molestation by a family member, understand the challenges of carrying those dark secrets. The fear that gripped me as I held on to my secret, ushered me into a homosexual life for 14 years. Through my obedience to the Lord, I have found freedom for over 19 years and still counting. What was my demise has become my voice.

You deserve to live an abuse-free life. Stand with me and know you are no longer a victim — but you can be a survivor.

Were you abused? Did you speak your truth and no one believed you? Did you speak your truth and experience the pain of someone doubting you? Beloved, you are not alone. I, Janet Boynes, believe you. I stand with and I am for you. Your step forward in speaking that dark secret and exposing what has caused you so much pain takes a tremendous amount of courage and bravery. I am proud of you! We can all be victorious together as survivors. We are strong for having survived. We are even stronger for standing up and speaking out against those that have hurt us. We stand together triumphantly and move forward, bravely living abuse-free lives.

On the other hand, are you the one that would rather just bury that dark and ugly secret and never bring it up again? You may try to find ways of just forgetting about it and moving on with your life. However, something seems to always trigger that hidden memory. If you have been abused or are currently a victim of abuse and have not yet spoken out, I urge you to diligently search for a safe person and speak your truth. You are stronger than you believe, and the courage to stand up is within you. You deserve to live an abuse-free life. Stand with me and know you are no longer a victim — but you can be a survivor. However it’s important that you take the first step and forgive those (or the person) that have hurt you. Forgiveness is the first step to freedom.

There is Freedom in Forgiveness

My good friend, Karen Jensen Salisbury, wrote a book I Forgive You, But. Karen writes, “Unresolved unforgiveness can have a terrible effect on all the other relationships in our lives too.” You may feel that the person that sexually abused you does not deserve forgiveness. I agree with you. However, forgiveness does not have anything to do with your abuser. We forgive because we want to be obedient to God and experience freedom within ourselves. In Colossians 2:13 it says, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins.”

We have allowed these offenders to keep us in chains long enough. It is time to break the chains that have bound us, hurt us and caused us despair. It is time to stand up and receive our freedom. You are no longer the victim. You are the victor. We stand with you. Together, we can draw strength from each other and, most importantly, from the Word of God.

I believe that becoming whole and finding freedom is not only possible, but attainable.

Let’s make today our new ending. Let’s not suffer in silence anymore. You deserve freedom in the name of Jesus. I do believe that becoming whole and finding freedom is not only possible, but attainable. My book, Arise, is a self-help devotional that addresses many of the struggles that we all have been through. God designed us to live victoriously — but sadly this is not the reality for many of us. In my book, biblical insights combined with practical exercises will not only shed light on so many lies we often believe, but also give you a real sense of who you were created to be. There is greatness on the inside of you; it is your time to ARISE.

Janet Boynes Ministries is Here to Help

We here at Janet Boynes Ministries (JBM) want to assist in any way we can to help those who are suffering in silence. Our ministry is a non-denominational outreach dedicated to evangelism by preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. JBM will also minister to individuals who question their sexuality or who wish to leave homosexuality. We will give you the knowledge to help others, because when you know better, you do better. We want to challenge our churches and society about the issues surrounding sexuality, and teach you how to minister compassion without compromising the gospel.

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