Child of Woe: Maury Blair

The old man was home again. He could be heard roaring, grumbling and then roaring again, cursing profusely in his drunken stupor, growling as he stumbled around the lower level of the house that was anything but home for Maury Blair.

Maury Blair

When I lived in Ontario in another life, Maury Blair was a well know name because of his remarkable story. He authored a book entitled, Child of Woe, chronicling the thirteen years of daily abuse he endured from a stepfather. We had Maury speak in our church in Essex. Maury’s story is known in Canada and around the world because of his work with the abused, Breakthrough Ministries.

Maury’s mom was a Pentecostal evangelist. When her mom took ill, she returned home, and the time of caring for her mom went from months to years. His mom never returned to ministry, married, had three children and then her husband died. She spurned her brother-in-law’s marriage proposal and went on a trip to the States. There she became pregnant, returning to Paris, Ontario where she married her brother-in-law. Her new husband did not want Maury and the agreement was made when they married that Maury was to go. After they married his mother could not let him go and because of that he became a stigma of his stepfather’s rejection and of his wounded pride.

Maury’s first recollection of life was being cursed, hated, and so severely abused he was left for dead more than once.

Stepfather

The first day in his stepfather’s home he was kicked across the room and against a wall, unconscious. His older brother thought he was dead. As he held him in his arms and Maury’s eyes opened he looked down and said, it isn’t going to be good to be in this house ’cause dad hates you. Maury never ate at a table, never had birthdays, and never had Christmas. He lived off of leftovers secreted to his room by his brothers. Every night his alcoholic father came home from work for one purpose – to beat Maury unconscious.

Maury recalls that no teachers at school ever intervened or asked questions even though his body was covered in bruises. He often contemplated suicide, believing that if he were gone, life would better for his mom. He grew up hearing he was a piece of garbage, of no value, everyone would be better off if he was dead. Maury had bruises all over his body but the wounds on the inside were deeper. “Blair, you must be the foulest, ugliest, human being on the face of the earth. You are good for nothing.” Physical relief came only when his stepfather died.

Curse of Abuse Broken

Today, Maury is married to Bev for 54 years, father to three daughters and grandchildren. Stats show that 86% of people physically abused as children become abusers. Not with Maury. What made the difference? Not long after his stepfather died, he came across a book by Norman Vincent Peale, “Stay Alive All Your Life.” The title grabbed his attention.

He read the book, heard about Jesus, and that hurt, little kid encountered God. Suddenly, deep in his spirit he was transformed by Jesus Christ. He walked out of his bedroom, his mom took one look at him and asked, what happened to you? He said, God was in that room. I just met God. That started Maury on the road to recovery.

God broke the curse of abuse.

Maury’s life became devoted to helping teens find hope through Teen Challenge and in Breakthrough Ministries. He has travelled internationally, produced a video seen by 1.2 million people, authored a book, “Child of Woe,” and appeared in numerous television programs.

Maury knows that “Your past does not have to determine your future.”

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