Chaps' Tent: Spousal abuse is a vicious cycle that must be broken
About two weeks ago, a woman was found not guilty for killing her husband. How can that be?
The short answer is that she was a victim of severe spouse abuse. Spouse abuse runs the gamut from violence to verbal to very subtle, and always revolves on a cycle that begins each revolution by the "I'm sorry, it won't happen again.”
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Abused spouses still on the cyclic wheel MUST GET OFF and STAY OFF or they will be destroyed physically and mentally, no ifs, ands, or buts. No matter how sweet and innocent the “please come back. I love you” sounds, it's a deceptive lie.
Getting off when you're in the situation may be difficult, but it's a must for your safety and your family. So, do it now!
One common problem, in some cases, might be the number of ministers/pastors who are ignorant of the matter. If you don’t fully understand, do some intensive research on the subject. In addition to my suicide prevention classes during my chaplaincy career, I taught classes on this subject to supervisors.
It was a chaplain who led the way to establishing abuse shelters. We fostered some of the first shelters on Navy and Marine Corps installations, sometimes fighting against friction from some commanding officers who did not understand the need.
Abuse is found in all segments of society, including the military, and is most often not evident. May God bless our defenders of the American way of life and those who deal with the spouse abuse situations.
“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” (Colossians 3:19).
CHAPS OUT!
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Spousal abuse is a vicious cycle that must be broken
