NO VICTIMS HERE
(A must read!)

By Jennifer Cecil, M.Ed., LPC

As a counselor for LIFL, I have had the privilege of submitting approximately 20 articles over the last 2 ½ years. My articles usually are directly related to the issues pertaining to compulsive overeating and weight-loss.
This month, I would like to switch gears. We all know the old axiom, “we eat over what’s eating us”. How well we know that it is the trials and tribulations of this life that lead to our misuse of food as medication for what ails us.  Sometimes, the origins of these patterns are related to childhood trauma. Often it is the pain and stress of our adult lives that “push us over the edge”.  We can become so stuck in our pain that we become as helpless victims with no way out, but to medicate our pain away and hide out behind the layers of accumulated fat.

I would like, to tell you about a very courageous young woman, who endured a very traumatic ordeal and is emerging VICTORIUS instead of remaining a VICTIM.
She will be writing articles for the next few months.
You will NOT want to miss an article. Her story is compelling, her strength; inspiring. She will be sharing her experience, strength and hope. You will see how God, the wonderful counselor, will turn all things together for good (Romans 8:28) and will restore all that the enemy has stolen. (Joel 2:25).

Let me introduce you to my niece, Hilary Griffith. She is 19 years old and loves the Lord. Hilary’s life was near perfect. She was attending college at ASU, shared an apartment with friends, had a great job, went to church and enjoyed time with her family, friends, and boyfriend.

Her life was shattered on November 9, 2004 when she was raped at knife-point in her apartment by a man that had broken in while she was in the shower. The next 45 minutes of her life, Hilary was not sure if she would live or die. She was not sure if she would ever see her family again. She was not sure if her assailant would follow through on his promise to cut her throat. Hilary will talk about the supernatural comfort of God, the way that He sustained her, the things that He told her during the assault.

As unbelievable as it sounds, Hilary competed in and won the Miss Scottsdale Beauty Pageant FOUR days after the assault. How she gathered her strength to participate in the swimsuit portion and perform her talent with her bruised and battered body is beyond our comprehension. She will tell you how she was able through the grace and strength of God to “press on” in the midst of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Hilary has chosen to NOT be a victim. She could have cancelled her plans to compete in the pageant. She could have dropped out of school and quit her job. She could have stayed holed up in her room, staring at the walls. She did none of these things. She chose to move on with her life and let God redeem her sufferings. Although she has gone through the emotional and psychological issues that you would imagine, God has been gracious to her. Hilary has not turned her back on God. She has not asked God why He allowed this horrible thing to happen to her. She has asked Him, instead, to show her His plans for her life because He allowed her to live and not die.

I have said enough. Please show up to read her articles. You will be blessed as Hilary shares with you the comfort with which God has comforted her (II Corinthians 1: 3-7).

This article is by Jennifer Cecil, M.Ed., LPC