A Visit with Christine Hagion Rzepka

Christine is one of the women whose story is featured in Starting from Scratch When You’re Single Again. Her compelling story entitled “Me? A Battered Woman?” was positioned as the last story of our book so it would have a lasting impact on the reader. Christine is a tireless advocate for victims of domestic violence, and because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we are privileged to showcase some of her writing and a little information about her work through The Lazarus Project.

TEARS IN A BOTTLE

 

You have seen every tear I’ve cried

   watched it crawl down my swollen, bruised cheek

listened quietly, attentively

as I poured out my heart to You.

 

Each teardrop You have captured

  in a bottle

  bottle after bottle, stored up

—an entire bottling plant

under Your stewardship.

 

You heard every desperate whisper

each vain plea for release

  …seemingly unanswered

until the appointed time

  when my Light had come

and the darkness had to flee—

now Your glory has risen upon me.

 

Yet there remains a day coming

  when every tear shall be wiped away

by Your tender, scarred hands

and each bottle that You have reserved

will be melted in the flames

      of Your all-consuming fire;

each teardrop transformed

    into a tiny grain of sand

on the beaches of eternity.  

The Lazarus Project is a Christian ministry that serves as a resource to both the Christian community and the community at large to provide accurate information about domestic abuse and family violence from a Christian perspective. The Lazarus Project works in conjunction with local domestic violence agencies, other service providers, and church communities on issues of domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse, sexual assault, and incest. For more information about The Lazarus Project, go to www.the-ripple-effect.info.