RADV Article: What It Means to Be a Survivor
The word survivor can sound simple until you understand everything a person may have endured to earn it. Being a survivor does not mean the abuse no longer hurts. It does not mean every wound has healed or every memory has faded. It does not mean fear never returns or that you always feel strong. […]
RADV Article: It Takes a Village
We have all heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” But sometimes, it also takes a village to help a survivor find their way home to themselves. Domestic violence thrives in isolation. An abuser may slowly separate a survivor from family, friends, finances, transportation, faith, and every source of support they […]
RADV Article: To Quit Is Not an Option
There are days when survival feels like riding straight into a storm. You are tired. Your heart is heavy. The road ahead is hard to see, and everything inside you wants to pull over and stop trying. Rest if you need to. Cry if you need to. Ask for help if you need to. But […]
RADV Article: Resilience — You’re Still Here
Resilience doesn’t always look like strength. Sometimes it looks like sitting on the edge of the bed in the morning, wondering how you’re going to face another day—and then putting your feet on the floor anyway. Sometimes it looks like crying in the shower so nobody hears you. Sometimes it looks like driving to work […]
RADV Article: Getting Your Life Back
Abuse has a way of making your life feel like it no longer belongs to you. Your choices become smaller. Your voice grows quieter. You begin planning your days around someone else’s moods, reactions, and demands. Little by little, you may lose touch with the person you were before survival became your full-time job. But […]
RADV Article: One Size Doesn’t Fit All
As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus—and Jesus met people where they were. He listened. He showed compassion. He protected the vulnerable. He did not turn away from people because their lives were complicated, and He did not treat every hurting person exactly the same. That matters when we talk about domestic violence. It […]
RADV Article: You Should Be Proud of the Way You Stood
There comes a moment in healing when you look back at everything you survived—and realize you are still standing. Not untouched.Not without scars.Not without days when getting out of bed required every ounce of strength you had. But standing. You endured words designed to make you feel worthless. You lived through fear, manipulation, control, betrayal, […]
RADV Article: When Survivors Ask for Help—and No One Truly Hears Them
One of the hardest things a survivor may ever do is finally say: “I am being abused, and I need help.” Those words are rarely spoken easily. They may come after months or years of fear, manipulation, threats, humiliation, and being made to question their own reality. Before approaching a counter, calling an agency, entering […]
Being a Survivor Is a Badge of Courage
The word survivor carries a story. It speaks of battles most people never witnessed, tears that fell behind closed doors, and moments when simply making it through the day required every ounce of strength you had left. Being a survivor does not mean you escaped without scars. It means the scars did not get the […]
Before There Was RADV
Chapter 6: The Call From Texas Last Saturday, I told you about one of the lowest points of my life. I was homeless. I had slept beside a dumpster. An old friend eventually gave me a place to stay, and I will always be grateful for that. But having a roof over my head didn’t […]