Bonnie’s story (fictitious name) is taken from No Place for Abuse. Copyright Second edition(c) 2010 by Catherine Clark Kroeger and Nancy Nason-Clark. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426. https://www.ivpress.com/no-place-for-abuse
It occurs on page 82.
Bonnie suffered terrible verbal and sexual abuse from her husband, James, a man who was successful in business but preoccupied most of his waking hours with matters of sex. He dreamed of being a pimp, someone who could fulfill his own sexual fantasies at the same time that he was coordinating the sexual activities of several young women.
Jim wanted Bonnie to dress provocatively to seduce any man she met at church or in the community. He insisted that she dress without underwear; to accomplish this unreasonable request, he would often hide her undergarments. For five years she endured constant discussion of her body and daily behavior that made her uncomfortable in private and in public. During the latter phase of her life with Hum, his goal was to transform her into a prostitute.
Since Bonnie and Jim were evangelical Christians and attended a nondenominational church known for its active discipleship, she sought help and guidance from the leaders. Despite her frequent please for assistance, no one was willing to take the sexual abuse seriously or to challenge her husband on his behavior. From time to time she was encouraged to be loyal to him, but never to seek refuge or respite from the badgering she endured.
As a childhood victim of physical abuse and molestation, Bonnie was well acquainted with the survivor role. Consequently, it took her many years and the ongoing support of a Christian therapist to finally extricate herself from such an unhealthy environment. Describing the marriage as the worst chapter of her life, she confided that even now, many years later, the sexual abuse still torments her. Her broken heart is in need of ongoing repair.
More stories are available on this website in the Mending Broken Hearts Series and the Stories of Hope and Inspiration After Violence. You can also read a fuller account of these and other stories in our various books.