Article May 30, 1994 Issue

Childhood restored

Abuse threatens to destroy the joy of innocence and wonder. But spiritual renewal brings fresh hope.

Written for the Sentinel

In a world where, for many, childhood is not a happily cherished memory, I have found this Bible statement to be extremely comforting: "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten" (Joel 2:25). A locust eats nearly all the living plants that make the land beautiful and useful. Isn't that what abuse seems to do to children—to strip beauty and purpose from them? As adults, once-abused children may, at best, feel that they have missed out on their childhood, that they were forced to grow up too soon.

But there is a sense in which childhood is not a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence where some are lucky and others are not. Couldn't we think of childhood as any period when spiritual growth occurs and God-bestowed innocence abounds? If so, then the more we become acquainted with God, the more we will find that God restores our innocence and wonder. We do not have to feel cheated or left out. In fact, I have found that, in surprising ways, childhood can be restored to us.

My natural father was verbally and emotionally abusive. I grew up feeling insecure, afraid, and unwelcome in this world. As a result, I did not participate in many activities that a child would normally take part in, and when I did, I spent the time being fretful and afraid. I lived in constant fear that my mother would leave me, as my father had. There was a great deal of confusion and self-condemnation.

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