choose2livefree.com

Steph and Katie are two young women who have a heart for teen girls. Recently they launched a site called, Speak, Don’t Bleed. I asked each to share a little of their story and their passion for their web ministry. We’ll start with Steph this week, and then be sure to check back next week to read about Katie.

Steph, as a teen you struggled with self-injury and call that some of your darkest moments. Can you tell us a little about that time?
When I was a teen I started dealing heavily with painful memories and emotions from my childhood that I had stuffed away inside myself for years. They just happened to surface at that time in my life. I felt as if I had no one who would understand. I never felt like I could talk to anyone about what was going on inside of me. I felt a lot of shame and I didn’t even understand it myself at the time. It was a very lonely time for me.

What did you most long for that wasn’t happening at that time in your life?
I wanted to know that I was loved and that I was worth something to someone. I wanted to learn how to trust again and be able to have someone who would understand or at least try to understand and be there for me to support me.

Where are you finding hope today?
It’s taken me years (and I’m still working on it), but God is showing me that my hope needs to be in Him and Him alone. He is showing me that I can hope in Him because He always has my best interest at heart. He sees the whole picture when I only see a piece of it, so He knows best.

What better ways of coping with life and issues have you discovered?
One of the biggest things I’ve learned that has contributed to being able to cope is that it’s ok to be me, that God’s opinion of me is all that matters, and that I need to trust in His promises, not Satan’s lies. It’s ok to be honest with God. He wants us to be honest and open with Him. I think to be able to cope better it takes courage to be vulnerable about your feelings, and I think my growth in that area has been the key to learning how to cope in more healthy ways. When you are able to be open and honest about your feelings, then the secrecy, shame, and the need to self-injure decreases drastically. Learning how to cope in healthy ways also has everything to do with learning to trust God and believing in the promises He lays out in His word.

What do you most want girls to discover through visiting your site?
I want the girls that visit Speak Don’t Bleed to ultimately find freedom in Christ. I want them to know His never-ending love and forgiveness and know the extent of their worth to Him.

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Steph knows that many teen girls are hurting in ways none of us can begin to understand or imagine, even someone like her who has been there. But she wants to talk to her site visitors about the One who has, as she puts it, “been through it all, seen it all, and overcome it all.” If you’re struggling with self-injury, be sure to check out Steph’s and Katie’s site, Speak, Don’t Bleed and the self-injury resources page on this site.