Healing the Wounds of Trauma

pastor said that wives should submit to their husbands as the head of the home!” Just then, Joe came and said he was sorry for yelling at her again, and they made up. Ann lived for those brief moments. Before long, Joe came home drunk again. The baby was crying when he walked in the door. First he hit Ann hard, and then he said, “That stupid baby!” He picked up the little boy and slapped him. The baby screamed louder. Ann grabbed the baby from his arms and ran outside. Joe followed her, yelling. Ann banged on Mary’s door. As soon as it opened she jumped inside. “Don’t let Joe in!” she gasped. Mary’s husband barred the door as Joe tried to bash it in. After a fewminutes, he gave up and walked back to his house, kicking the neighbor’s dog as he went. Finally, Ann had had enough! Mary suggested she call a kind older lady in the church that she knew and find out if Ann could go and stay there for themoment. Ann agreed to that, and as thewomanwas happy towelcome her there and then,Mary’s husband took Ann and her baby to the woman. She also suggested that she phone her pastor’s wife and ask her to go and see Ann the next day, and Ann agreed to this as well. The next morning the pastor’s wife went to see Ann and they talked for a long time. In the end, the pastor’s wife told Ann that she could not take responsibility tomake their marriage work on her own, because Joe had broken the vows they made when they wed. He had promised to love and to cherish her, and clearly he was not doing so. She read from Ephesians 5, which showed not only that wives are to submit to their husbands, husbands are to love their wives, “just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.” This was like a sooth- ing ointment to Ann’s heart. The pastor’s wife continued to meet with Ann, listening to her story and helping her see that the abuse was not her fault—and that she was not stupid! The church helped Ann and her baby find a place to live, and she was able to pay the bills by working longer hours at her job.Then one night Joe called her, and she began to waver. Should she go back to him?

❂❂ SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION 1. Why do you think Joe abused Ann?

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Domestic Abuse

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