Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by:
Cloudwatcher
()
Date: August 25, 2018 10:21PM
cultfree Wrote:
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> Thanks for sharing all that Reveal. I don't know
> about anyone else, but it is therapeutic to hear
> other people's stories and experiences in TLWF.
> Just to know that someone else on earth knows what
> it was like gives me the feeling of not being
> alone in it. I know other people I have spoken to
> feel this way.
>
> I feel like my number one suggestion to people who
> are out there, maybe reading this message board,
> and feeling alone, is try to reach out to people
> who have also left the cult, and find a network.
> The people I am in touch with are part of what I
> kinda call a support group. We get together, talk
> about our experience in TLWF, and help each other
> understand. It is such a specific experience
> (TLWF) that I feel like you need others to talk to
> who know what it was like. Find a network, and be
> a network for other people. I have often thought
> about how funny it is that we heard that saying
> "The Kingdom is relationships". And ya know what,
> I think in some ways that has come true, except,
> for that "word" to come to pass, people had to
> take it outside that god forsaken place, and walk
> it out as people. Relationships are important, and
> vital to our survival as people.
>
> I could, and have, talked for hours about my
> experience in TLWF, and probably will do it some
> day here as well, but I have found the most
> shocking part of that whole experience happened
> when I left the cult. I've described to my
> therapist how I feel like I had a really good set
> of tools to exist within a cult environment, but I
> had no toolset to exist out in the real world.
> Having to think for myself, have my own
> motivations, discover who I actually am as a
> person. All of that was expressly forbidden in my
> cult world. I've had to relearn how people
> function outside the control of a soul-destroying
> cult. I feel like in many ways, they tried to
> destroy the people we were as kids raised in that
> thing. I am thankful to know that they didn't
> succeed. They couldn't turn us in to "zeros with
> the rim rubbed out". The human spirit persevered,
> and we came out on top.
>
> The greatest liberation I have experienced is the
> feeling that they have no more control over me. I
> don't live under their thumb or influence any
> more. I still know people who are in the church,
> and I don't hesitate to tell them how I feel any
> more. I love the shit out of those people, and I
> won't stand by and be a spectator to the continued
> abuse.
>
> We're free people. We escaped a cult. Be reminded
> every day that you did something truly courageous,
> bold, and powerful in your life, and that was your
> first step in to a new life. What a great way to
> enter a new life, with a bold move. We all did
> that, and that is an amazing thing we should never
> stop being proud of. Yes, we're cult survivors,
> and that will always be a part of us. But realize
> that we've got the opportunity now to make our
> lives about so much more than that place. Let's
> feel powerful, people!
Hear! Hear! So glad you have joined us cult-free. You still have many years to make a real life. It is very sad what happened to the children of our generation--under our noses. And it was much worse than a lot of us experienced. As you describe coming of age under the rule of G and M--it just makes me sick.