Innocence Lost

As years go by, the more people I know, I am made aware of how many people are living broken lives. It’s interesting how much we can give away in just a simple interaction or conversation. Personally, I have seen the negative effects of seeing and doing things too early in my childhood. These things ended up corrupting some areas in my life that have been very, very hard to fix, some that even until today I struggle with. This corruption changed things, it challenged the way I was to behave and interact with others and how I was to see some things in life in a different light.

Childhood is a precious time, a fundamental one in our formation. Sadly there are situations brought upon children that are beyond what they are supposed to handle at that age and ends up distorting their view of life. As adults, I believe that is part of our job to make sure that the children around us do not loose their innocence abruptly, too early or in a way that will keep them broken the rest of their lives.

For example, I come from parents that divorced when I was just a kid and even though the divorce didn’t affect me that much, the situations leading to it did. These situations made a direct hit to my view of life and therefore corrupted some things in me.

Now, I do not agree with divorce as a solution. I have seen the effect it has caused in the lives of many, making their lives even harder. I believe marriage can be restored if both sides decide to work on it and look into the true meaning of their relationship, even more if they have kids that can be affected.

Abuse, exposure to pornography and a distant relationship with their parents are just some of the scenarios that can seriously hinder a childs growth into an emotionally stable adult. I have seen first hand how not being monitored and having open exposure to adult material made a mess in some areas of my life. The problem with this is that a fantasy starts developing in people’s minds and it is definitely not easy to get rid of it. Innocence is lost and it is very hard to regain control of your life and how it is supposed to be, when you have not experienced true freedom. People go from being brothers and sisters, someone to care for to becoming something to satisfy our distorted desires. God can change things around, of course. But what if those situations in our childhood had been avoided in the first place?

If you feel broken and feel that you have been living a lie, you are not alone. Me too. Sometimes I can’t even recognize who I really am for the things I say, do and think. But I do know, that there is hope. I am sorry if you were affected as a child, my heart hurts for you, because I truly know how hard it is. I know what it is to look at the mirror and hate what you have become and all that you have forsaken knowing it to be right. But God still cares. In the midst of my darkness, pain and suffering there is an unwavering Dad that knows what I have been through. A father that does not care for the darkness around you but knows what you lack and desires passionately to provide the love that you missed.

You may have lost your innocence, your image may have been broken, but there is still a chance to rise up and make things different, you may not be able to change the past but you can rest in knowing there is hope for your future.

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