A Secret Loses It's Power

From Ruth and Priscilla:

How our hearts ache for the suffering of our sisters, for we know all about brokenness.  We have felt that indescribable pain, the wracking grief, the tonnage of guilt on our hearts!  We know what it is to have made decisions that would cast their shadow over every moment of our lives thereafter.  We have lived the secret shame, suffered through the wondering of whether or not those we love the most would still love us if they but knew who we really were inside. 

And you, our sister that is reading this today, do you know that kind of pain, no matter what the secret in your life is?  We have seen so many women suffering, holding on to the undisclosed hurts in their lives like a lifeline, afraid to let go.  For if we were free of the guilt, the shame, the pain, what then would we do?  If we allowed ourselves to start  believing for one moment that we were undeserving our of self-inflicted punishment, what would that mean?

 If freedom from those burdens is what you seek, we would like to offer what we have experienced, what we have learned, to you, because we have been blessed to find some true freedom and healing from the bondage of our pasts.  We are not professional counselors, nor are we pastors or ministers.  We are women who have found, by the grace of God and mutual support what we believe to be the path to liberty.  We have found some answers that are working for us.  And we believe that in sharing this information, we can help others place their feet on the same path.

Do you want to begin to break the power of the secrets of the past over your life?  Shine the light of the truth on them!  Does that sound terrifying to you like it did to me?  It had just never occurred to me that someone in my life could know the truth and still love and accept me.  My belief in the necessity of secrecy was so deeply imbedded in my heart and mind, I simply thought my counselor was insane...he was telling me to choose someone I trusted and tell my secret!  My shame and guilt were my constant companions...I wasn't sure I would know how to live outside of the prison I had built of them.  I didn't have a clue what it was costing me to keep my secret, I just kept choking it down.  So much of my emotional energy was being drained, and I wasn’t even aware of it.  I took the first step toward healing when I was given one of the most powerful truths I have ever been given:

A secret loses its power when it is no longer a secret.

I did what had been suggested to me:  I carefully and thoughtfully chose the person I would reveal my secret to, someone I trusted.  It is never advisable to share your story with just anyone.  Your story is so personal, so precious, it should always be treated with the respect it deserves, so always be cautious about whom you entrust it to. 

In my situation, it was not an option for me to choose my then husband as that person.  So, I chose my best friend, someone who had already entrusted her story to me.  I don’t know if I can describe what a revelation it was to me to trust someone with my past and have that person tell me in no uncertain terms that she still loved me and accepted me, that knowing about my secret had not changed the way she looked at me or her respect for me.

 I began to feel a freedom I didn’t know existed, hadn’t known was missing, had no clue I had been thirsting for all of my adult life!  I felt like I could breathe again!  It was truly the first step toward healing.  There was still the journey in front of me, but I had set my feet on the path.  Breaking the power of that secret over my life opened a door I had lost hope in ever finding….the door to freedom and peace in my heart. 

Please let me reiterate…be careful, thoughtful and take your time in choosing the person to whom you reveal your story.  Your story is unique, it is very much your own, and should never be shared with someone who has not proven themselves worthy of your trust.  I would advise that it never be placed on any social network.  If you choose to “talk” with Priscilla and I, please do so anonymously, and choose a different name than you own to use, as we have. 

Please know that what you read here is the truth as we know it, as we have experienced it, and our true heart’s desire is to share our stories, our hard-won knowledge and understanding, and to let you know, our sisters in this life, that we already love you and accept you, no matter what your story is.  There is always hope, there is always light even in the darkest places, and we reach out with our hearts and our hands to offer the hope and the light we have found. 

Love and blessings!  Ruth

Who We Are

Hello and welcome to our blog! 

We are Ruth and Priscilla and we are Loving Arms Ministries!  We truly are REAL women with REAL answers.

We would like to extend the same loving arms that embraced us and placed us on the path to freedom. We firmly believe that no matter where you are today and what choices you've made in the past, you can find healing through the shared experiences of other women.

We all have a story to tell, each one is unique and worthy of being shared. It's through this love and acceptance that we all can experience healing and freedom from our pasts; no matter what we have done!!!