Turning Your Pain Into Purpose
In this Guest Thriver Blog, we continue to learn from Kim Lakin Creger who is a:
- Childhood Sexual Abuse Prevention Speaker,
- #1 Best Selling Contributing Author, in Stop The Silence: Healing After Child Sexual Abuse,
- Host of a Blog Talk Radio Show, Mondays, and Wednesdays, on NAASCA,
- Stewards Of Children Prevention Specialist, Certified Instructor, and Authorized Facilitator.
Kim previously shared her story and now you will hear how she turned her pain into her life purpose.
Like many others, I have held on to trauma from my past.
This kept me from becoming the person God intended me to be.
First Step – Breaking the Cycle
I have broken the cycle by making sure that my children grew up healthy, happy, and free from abuse. I didn’t know exactly how to do this…but I did know how Not to raise children.
I didn’t have the tools to teach them about body safety at that time. Now I have body safety books on my grandchildren’s bookshelf to empower them to know that they are the boss of their bodies. All I knew to do with my children, was to be everywhere they were to keep them safe.
Second Step – Moving into Purpose
I’ve always known that I wanted to help people, but for a long time, I didn’t know the path I was meant to take.
- First, I became a certified children’s grief specialist and started a group for children at my church. This served as a stepping stone for me to be able to open up and build a community.
- I kept searching for additional ways I could help and heal those with trauma like my own.
- As a child of emotional and physical abuse, I was a walking billboard of how trauma can keep you stuck in an old mindset.
- Believing the words that were spoken to me as a child created a warped recording in my mind that I have played over and over in my mind.
- When you are fed negativity daily, it, unfortunately, sinks in and you believe it to be true. I believed those lies for 40 years.
- About 18 years ago I was sitting at a Women of Faith Conference, I heard God tell me that I would be speaking and educating about child sexual abuse prevention.
- That revelation was kind of scary; however, it would be many years before I was ready to take on this work.
- God did a lot of preparing my heart to find what He wanted me to do.
- He finally led me to become a Certified Instructor and Authorized Facilitator for Darkness to Light, Stewards of Children.
I’ve encountered abused children in my work and volunteer career, and because of my experience have always wanted to give children hope, grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love that they can’t always get at home.
- Now I can educate the children as well.
- As a Certified Instructor and Authorized Facilitator for Darkness to Light, Stewards of Children, I have trained over 8oo adults on how to protect children.
- We have in-person and online classes.
My main target audience, going into teaching Stewards of Children, was Churches.
- 1 in 10 children will be abused before their 18th birthday!
- We need to face the fact that churches are one of the number one places for abusers to hide out.
- An abuser could be the person sitting next to you, or someone working in the youth group.
My heart is to get into churches Before something happens.
- We need to start being the voice for those who need help voicing their truth.
- Believing in the child is the first step to any healing!
- Understanding that sometimes children will act out or have episodes of acting out, will help caregivers understand where they are coming from. Acting out is usually a sign of some kind of trauma. Pay Attention!
You have heard my story and my passion to make a difference. I truly feel that speaking and teaching are the next step in my healing journey and sharing with you has been an honor.
I want to encourage you along your healing journey and hope you can ultimately come to a place where your pain leads you to purpose. I know healing is different for everyone, but I know my true healing and forgiveness have come from God.
Healing is not an easy road. It takes time to record over the tapes of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse.
It takes time to find your self-worth. I hope you make the investment of time.
Talk To Tambry
I am glad you have taken the time to engage with this blog. Sometimes it is helpful to process new insights that emerge. If you would appreciate brief time with a someone who understands, our Talk to Tambry offering is for you. For 30 minutes, you can receive support from Tambry who is a certified life coach, spiritual director and a survivor who has been on the journey as well. This is offered at a reduced rate of $50.
