About the Overcoming Abuse Book Series

My journey and ministry with victims of abuse and family violence was established as a youth. Upon completing my high school (HS) credits early I was offered a full time internship with the New York City Department of Human Resources. During my junior and senior years of HS I was assigned to work at a church located in the ghettos of Manhattan’s Harlem. My rounds included accompanying a social worker making home visits and working as a teacher’s aide at the church’s Head Start program. My documentation on family violence began through participant observation of abusers, victims, and their families. It became apparent over time that this was not an interlude for throwaway observation.

My calling and mission for ministering to victims of marital abuse was birthed one icy winter morning as a young adult. I had just returned from serving a military tour of duty and was working at a military base as a civilian providing drug and alcohol counseling. That winter storm morning I reported for work as usual. I had barely taken my coat off when I heard my supervisor calling me into his office. My supervisor whom was a licensed therapist said, “I need you to go straight to the hospital (as he sat at his desk rapidly twiddling his thumbs) there’s a woman there that got beat up last night, I’ve already gone to see her, here’s her chart; I don’t know what to do with her.” I replied with a calm, low-voiced “yes, sir.” But, I wondered as a paraprofessional what my supervisor expected me to do differently with this woman?

I put my coat back on and went immediately to see her. The woman was laying upright in her hospital bed. Her swollen bruised face was in the shade of purple colors; her eyes protruded almost shut, her scalp had red bleeding patches of gauze where her hair had obviously been yanked out, her lips were of an unrecognizable shape with bloody cuts around them, her arms and neck had purplish blackened finger-printed lacerations. My heart welled up with compassion for this woman, whom I have ever since named “Esther.” Most Christians know how the story ends for Esther in the Bible: Esther finally breaks her silence in order to save herself and her people from death. However, it is seldom discussed that Esther was an orphan, later taken captive, sexually used and purchased; she experienced exile, and was almost executed. Throughout her suffering Esther’s character, courage and perseverance developed. God’s love and redemptive work restored her brokenness into a new life. Esther endured many forms of abuse. Esther overcomes—abuse. The Overcoming Abuse: Embracing Peace book series has been written for all of the daughters of God who want to break their silence and overcome—it is for all of the “Esthers.”