Sexual abuse of children is an uncomfortable topic, but one that needs to be talked about in order to help stop it. My heart broke as I watched a video of men convicted of sexual abuse detail how they went about making children feel comfortable around them in order to abuse them. Sexual predators often use the vulnerability of children to their advantage. This is definitely hard to think about, but it is valuable information in the context of preventing sexual abuse.
There was no direct mention of Girls on the Run, but as I listened I filtered all the information through the perspective of working with young girls. One of Girls on the Run's main goals is to build up girls' confidence in themselves. This confidence is imperative in keeping girls safe! So many young girls are left feeling worthless and alone, whether because of an abusive or absent father or just from the pressures of this world. If a young girl is confident in who she is, she will be much more likely to stand firm if she thinks someone is behaving inappropriately and be confident enough to communicate her concerns to someone.
My heart for young girls everywhere is for them to know that they are priceless, the daughter of a King! I am a believer in God, that He created the world, sent his Son to die to give us grace, and that He is coming back for us one day! Because of this belief, I view each and every person as a unique child of God, created by Him and for Him. I hope that I can show these precious girls at Girls on the Run this truth.
I can only imagine how much more confident they would be if they knew the God who created the universe was on their side! I cannot wait to get started on Monday!
I like how although you were not able to reflect on a direct experience from Girls on the Run, you still made the connection of how sexual abuse can affect the confidence in young girls, which is an extremely important topic pertaining to your service site. I now know that you have since visited your site... how was the first time serving?
ReplyDeleteHi! Thank you so much! It was great! The girls were really sweet and the running made it go by really fast! Plus, it's a good work out :) Thanks for asking!
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