Julie’s Story

Christian Post: How I Give Back and Help Women Fight Abuse

Article appeared in Christian Post | By: Julie Bonn Blank | Photo Credit: Adobe Stock (stock photo)

And it was there in the church bathroom where I found myself wondering if I was in an unhealthy relationship, for the first time in many years.

I noticed a tear-off flyer there which listed the warning signs of an abusive relationship. With tears in my eyes, I mentally checked “yes” to the majority of the behaviors listed and ripped off the contact information for the assistance program at ARMS/Abuse Recovery Ministry Services. I didn’t call them right away — in fact, I lost the tab and had to tear off another a few weeks later after a particularly disturbing incident in my home.

I started the program in denial. I was just there to “learn more.” But the lessons did eventually sink in, and that program became a source of healing, helped me set boundaries, taught me healthy responses, enforced my true value, and literally saved my life. I realized I had not been in just one unhealthy relationship — I’d been in three.

Today, I’m not only an abuse survivor, but I’m also a certified advocate and the women’s services director for this same organization, which runs “Her Journey,” a program to help women around the world recover and heal from abuse.