Impact : Upon Secondary Victims

Many of us, if not all, have experienced some tragedy in our lives, and secondary victims of tragedy most often do not even see themselves as victims. They may not even realize how deeply and completely they have been impacted, but when they do, it can be overwhelming.

On December 3, 1957, my life was changed forever. The night my sister Maria was kidnapped is forever etched in my mind. The reliving of this terrible time in my life has taken many forms throughout the years, and I am sure there will be more to come.

The questions now for you and for me are these:
--Will we be swept up by the evil that is swirling around us?
--Is it this evil act that will define us, or will we prevail in spite of it?
--Or will we continue walking in the shadow of darkness?

I want you to know that you do not and should not have to believe the devil's lies when he says to you, "You will never overcome this. You will always be under these feelings, and this is the way you are." I want you to know that God will give you the power to overcome it, just as Jesus said, "I have given you authority to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19).