LiveMindfuLee

There was a time when I didn’t believe I would survive.

Not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, creatively.
When you’ve lived through domestic violence or sexual assault, the world can feel unsafe, your body unfamiliar, your heart shattered, and your future erased. Hope becomes a word that belongs to other people.

If that’s where you are right now, I want you to know something:

You are not broken beyond repair.

I write this as an artist, a woman of faith, and a survivor, just like you. Not from a place of having “arrived,” but from the road of healing I still walk every day.

You Did Not Deserve What Happened

Let’s start here.
Because shame is often the first wound we carry.

What was done to you was not your fault.
Not because of what you wore.
Not because of what you said.
Not because of where you were.
Not because you stayed too long.

The responsibility belongs solely to the one who harmed you.

You are still worthy. Still precious. Still chosen. Still deeply loved by God, even if right now you cannot feel it.

God Was Not Absent

One of the hardest questions survivors wrestle with is:
“Where was God when this happened?”

I asked it too.

But healing has taught me this:
God did not cause your pain.
He sat beside you in it.
He wept with you.
And He is still with you now, quietly rebuilding what was stolen.

Psalm 34:18 says:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

If your spirit feels crushed today, that verse is for you.

You Are Allowed To Start Small

Healing doesn’t begin with forgiveness speeches or instant joy.
Healing begins with breathing.
With getting out of bed.
With drinking water.
With saying, “I am still here.”

That is enough.

You do not need to be strong all the time.
You do not need to have it all together.
You only need to keep choosing one small step forward, even if that step is just surviving today.

Creativity Can Be A Sanctuary

As an artist, I discovered something sacred:
When words failed, creating gave me a voice again.

Painting. Writing. Sewing. Crafting. Music.
Creativity became prayer when I didn’t know how to pray.

If you feel drawn to create you should follow that whisper.
Art has a way of returning pieces of yourself that trauma tried to take.

You are not just a survivor.
You are a creator.
A storyteller.
A woman with beauty still inside her.

Your Story Is Not Over

Right now, you might feel hopeless.
Like the best parts of your life are behind you.
Like you’ll never feel safe, loved, or whole again.

But, sister, this is not the end of your story.

God is still writing.
Softly. Gently. Patiently.

There will come a day when you look back and realize:
“I didn’t just survive. I became new.”

If You Need A Hand To Hold

You do not have to walk this alone.

Reach out to trusted counselors. Safe friends. Support groups. Church communities that understand trauma. Crisis hotlines if you’re in danger.

Asking for help is not weakness.
It is wisdom.

From My Heart To Yours

If no one has told you today:

I believe you.
I see you.
I am proud of you for staying alive.
And there is still hope, even here.

You are not defined by what happened to you.
You are defined by the God who made you and He is not finished.

With love and solidarity,
Brittney @livemindfulee