Wonder Woman Wednesday-A life worth living

We always hear about the horrors of the world around us.  People do terrible things to each other.  Not a day goes by that I don’t get a story about something tragic that happened to a good person, and most of those stories never hit the media.  When people tell me, “The media blows things out of proportion” or, “the media creates a fear based society,” I just want to show them the email bank of stories I have that proves the problem is larger than the media.

Sometimes it seems too big.

Then you read about somebody like Rebecca Bender.  She spent six horrific years of her life trapped and sold into sex trafficking.  Things that happened to her would make you lose sleep at night.  Many people believe that she would be a broken and tortured soul forever, just another victim in the dark people of the world, but not Rebecca. 

Rebecca is a survivor.  She met her trafficker near a college campus in Oregon, she became a victim of abuse, and eventually he trafficked her.  She was sold nationwide for six years, tried to escape many times, was branded twice, and had to endure several traffickers before the FBI raided her home and gave her the means to escape.

Healing was not easy.  It took faith in God and the help of a local church to restore her.  She realized through her process that she could use her life to help others overcome as well.  She grew into her faith, started a ministry, wrote the Roadmap to Redemption, and now she is a renowned consultant and public speaker.   She is also married with children and living a beautiful life.

If you don’t believe you’re worth it, if the darkness in your life is still holding you back, Rebecca is proof that anyone can be an overcomer, no matter what trauma you have experienced. She is now a public speaker, virtual mentor, and consultant for everything from television to investigations.  

Rebecca Bender receives the Wonder Woman Wednesday spotlight this week because of her work in helping the broken heal, her willingness to hold a torch in the darkness, and her bravery to be a transparent window to the path of healing.

To learn more about Rebecca Bender, you can find her on the web at rebeccabender.org.

If you have been a victim of sex trafficking, sexual assault, abuse, or domestic violence, you are not alone.  Brave women have walked the same path before you, and have chosen to live a life that matters so that you may find peace and healing in their story.  We can help connect you with local resources in your community that can lead you to a life worth living.  If you or someone you know has a story about #fightingback please email me at Sunshine@YourDamselDiva.com and you may find yourself as a featured Wonder Woman Wednesday spotlight.