Forgiveness: Increasing Quality of Life

I am a survivor of rape and incest. I won't discuss details but I will say I remember it clearly. I look at other people who have suffered trauma and know that they struggle with the memories of the abuse. They have let it prevent them from living a full life. However, I am not like them. God showed me this when I was 19. I went to a rape support group and heard stories of abuse that were similar to mine. But, I saw lives that were controlled by drugs, alcohol, shame and blame. God has blessed me by allowing me to know that His love and Christ's biblical teaching on forgiveness has healed my brokenness. The hurt of the past is long over. It has not and does not define me.

Unfortunately, people don't believe biblical principles until they are proven true by science. My research is the beginning of what I believe will be foundational work for true methods of helping victims of trauma heal, teaching them how to forgive. I am using Eva Kor as a model, or prototype of sorts, to start my research. Eva will be taking me to Poland and giving me a tour of Auschwitz, explaining what happened there throughout the trip. I have received an anonymous scholarship for $1800 in order to go. I believe being pre-med and on the IUE Chancellor's list for a 4.0 GPA helped contribute to the scholarship.

Eva is a survivor of Auschwitz. She was a Dr. Mengele twin. He conducted horrendous medical experimentation on children who were twins. One of Eva's friends from Terre Haute, Indiana suggested she forgive the Nazis. And, on the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Eva stood in front of Auschwitz and did just that; she forgave Dr. Mengele and ALL the Nazi's. She lost her entire family in Auschwitz except for her twin sister, she was a victim of starvation and unimaginable medical experimentation, and yet she chose to forgive all of them. She said she felt a very heavy weight had been lifted from her. She didn't feel like a victim any longer. She felt powerful.

I will be conducting a qualitative comparative analysis on survivors of trauma asking them questions regarding their lives pre-trauma and post-trauma. I will be looking at actual data in hopes of proving forgiveness heals and improves quality of life after trauma. The numbers speak to the scientific community, of which I am working so hard to become a part. I will be one of the few scientist who is a believer with a biblical worldview. This will be the foundation that I use for additional exploration on forgiveness. It is a passion of mine and I want to help others find new life through forgiveness and find God through forgiveness as well!!