The Chosen

A Facebook friend of mine shared a news story this week about another incidence of child abuse and posed the following question:

I've noticed it's common for abusers to pick one or two children to give the most severe abuse to. Anyone know why?

The responses were many but there was one that really stood out (deeply upset) me that I think needs to be discussed because sadly this is not the first time I have heard it.

The response was this:

I think it comes down to literally who, if anyone, is prayin for them. God limits Himself to our free will, He needs to b invited to help, save us. Some prayer warrior somewhere ignored the call to pray... It's ALL ON US AS HUMANS until He returns!! Shoot, it coulda been ME and I'm sad about that.

My first 3 responses magically disappeared before I finished typing them which I think was God's way of telling me to slow down and be respectful because what I was saying needs to be heard and not discounted because of the angry undertones of my first few attempts.

I ended up with this:

Dear Person,

That is nonsense.

I am truly sorry for whatever you have learned or saw to make you think that even saying something so awful is ok.

Child abusers are opportunistic. It is about control, coercion, and causing pain. They choose one child over another because of a variety of reasons, almost always related to the ease of which they can. Having other children in the home that they can treat normally allows them to justify their treatment of the chosen child. It is at it's most basic level sinful human beings behaving sinfully in a broken world.

What it is absolutely NOT however is the result of one child being prayed for over another and I am truly heartbroken over anyone who may see or believe that post as it justifies the very reasoning abusers use to control their victims:

NO ONE CARES FOR YOU AND IF THEY DON'T GOD DOESN'T EITHER

The truth is the child survived the abuse because people were praying for them. The truth is that child is beautiful and strong and brave and God has already used what the devil meant for good to bring healing to hundreds if not thousands.

A more practical way to view it now that my head has decompressed a bit:

In what world are the following statements biblical?

Dear Child A,
Sorry you were abandoned by your mother and beaten and raped by your father when you were five while he left your brother alone. You see, no one was praying for you.  Love,
God

Or for those unfamiliar with abuse, maybe this will make more sense as to the ridiculousness of what was said above.

Dear Child B,
Sorry you have Autism and your brother does not. When your mother was pregnant with you she and others didn't pray hard enough. Perhaps they will be more diligent next time.
Love,
God