Off Ramp: God's Exit from Abuse (ePub)

Off Ramp, God's Exit from Abuse offers hope not only to victims of domestic violence and survivors of child abuse, but especially to Christian abuse victims who feel trapped by the confines of narrowly interpreted scriptures. Sadly, one in four women in the church is or has been a victim of abuse. For the victim blinded by oppression, it is difficult to see the road signs pointing the way to the off ramp of safety, hope, and recovery. For the observer wanting to intervene, it is difficult to understand why the victim can't see the road signs. It is the role of the church to guide the victim to the safety of the off ramp, and to the Savior who offers hope, peace, and joy. Off Ramp provides answers and prescribes actions. Written through memoir, counseling, and ministry, Off Ramp is intended first to the victim or potential victim, then secondly to those wishing to help, both as individuals and as a church. My own story travels through repeated child sexual abuse, to self-abuse-even amidst worldly success as prom queen, beauty pageant queen, and Playboy centerfold model-to spousal abuse as a 'baby Christian' in an isolated location with a man who felt he was the only one who had true understanding from God. With God's miraculous provision, I escaped with my three daughters, all born at home and needing court-ordered birth certificates, to a life filled with the blessings and peace of a loving Savior. We broke the cycles of abuse.