I felt her hand clasp my finger. Moments froze. They hung as fragile as crystals and pregnant with both hope and fear. They bookmarked the moment in my mind. Then they just melted away.

                   

The little girl was shorter than my knee and had lost her way. She was separated from the safety of her mama's hand. I found her in silent tears behind a frog display in a children's museum.

We walked a hundred steps and she was reunited with her mom. Within minutes, her tears were dried and gone. That's the way of children. They trust.

But I haven’t recovered from our encounter so quickly. The bookmark is now buried deep within my soul. I am changed by the experience. I will not forget that little girl, and I am grateful.

Trust is so basic and yet so very brittle. It does not bend. Once broken, it never mends exactly as it had been before. That is why trust is vital for a child—and for us.

Trust is necessary throughout our lives and essential to our health and vitality. Shattered trust breaks the heart. Dreams are lost and hopes are abandoned. Childhood is cut short, love is destroyed, and overnight life can become a nightmare.

That is the grief of little ones who have been abused. Their dreams have become painful and their hopes have been abandoned so long ago.

Perhaps the reasons for your pain are different than mine but the resulting ache is not so different. The route to healing is long and filled with risk as well as reward. I am not sure that healing is ever perfect. What I can tell you is that your experiences will make you stronger.

If you are one who has experienced the betrayal of trust, then you are not alone. Know and remember that you are never alone. It's time to hope again and take the hand of someone who understands your pain and struggle.

It's time to heal, to hope, and to share. Maybe you never shared your story. Maybe, like me, you have preserved the public image of those who hurt you by remaining silent. Maybe you have denied that anything really happened or have simply decided that you deserved it.

These words of mine are unrehearsed and frankly honest. In them, I share my hopes and dreams of success and safety. In them, I share the thoughts of a man whose life was shattered. But most importantly, I share the love that my God has shared with me.

Eventually I will share my story. I will tell you of the love that forgave me for not fighting back. About the love that holds me when I cry. But I will share with you far more than cute little stories. I will share the One Who extended a finger to me when I no longer knew how to hope and Who extended His hand to me when joy had turned to perpetual fear.

But for now, just imagine sitting on a park bench in the shade of a great old elm tree. Take a moment and listen to the beat of your own heart. Hear the birds and feel the gentle breeze as it stirs the air.

As you listen, imagine a kind, old man who can barely walk strolls up and asks permission to rest on the bench beside you. He tells you that this is his favorite place to rest because he planted the elm so very many years ago. He is both harmless and kind and so you invite him to join you. He asks you about your journey through life and soon moments melt into hours as the two of you become friends.

It is my hope that you will come often and linger awhile when you do so. There are so many words I would love to share. Please come often and bookmark these pages so that you can enjoy them again and again.

Better still, please invite a friend. There are so many that need encouragement, hope, and a little more time in the shade of a great old elm tree.

Welcome to Words from the Bench!