This week we have a guest blogger.  Ruth Cowles is the Minister of Women’s Ministry at Olathe Bible Church.  One of her areas of responsibility is counseling and praying for the women who come to her.  Over the years, she has seen and heard about domestic violence within the Faith Community.   Below is a poem she penned about the effect of abuse on children.  You may contact Ruth at ruthc@olathebible.org or (913) 764.8280.

Within the Four Walls of the Place Called Home

The children saw the nightmare that played out

Within the four walls of the place

They all called home.

They heard the cries, the lies, the shouts.

They saw the beatings acted out.

And Sunday they all went to church

To praise the Lord!

No one outside would ever know

What happened there.

It’d never show

Up on the outside.

But deep inside they’d bear the scar

Of all they heard and all they saw,

And it would fester there.

And they would smile and they would sing,

While saying all the good expected things

About how great life was.

No one would ever know or care,

Or wonder what was happening there

Within the four walls of the place

They all called home.