One of my most vivid memories of the day my daughter was born: my husband actually transitioned from my hospital bedside to HER bedside a little too quickly for my liking. I quickly forgave him when I saw the look on his face. I have a few photos and a video to prove it – he literally became a sappy, love-sick dad in a matter of seconds. Without being too descriptive, let me remind you that newborns aren’t always beautiful in every way, especially at first. But Bruce couldn’t stop smiling and gushing and loving that baby from moment one. It was pure evidence that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Emily’s identity and worth were established before she ever did anything to impress anyone. She was HIS daughter, and that made her precious.
Here at Safe Harbor, we ferociously embrace this fact – God is madly in love with every single one of us, and this love does not depend on us, our performance, our behavior, or our ability to get things right. Instead, He loves us and considers us breathtakingly beautiful because He is the best Papa, and because He is the best ARTIST ever.When women come to Safe Harbor, one of our deepest beliefs is that they need to hear this message over and over again, in a myriad of ways. They need to know that they are a masterpiece, God’s poem, His handiwork. They need to know that they were created with purpose, that God was very intentional when he knit them together. I know that my husband Bruce had a similar gigantic father-vision the day our Emily was born, and I also know that God is a way better parent than we earthly parents could ever be. So, It is our great honor to share this message with the women at Safe Harbor. The beautiful thing is that we also remind ourselves every time we tell these women about their worth. It’s perpetually awesome!
One last thought about this great reminder from Ephesians 2:10. Notice the pronoun – WE. Not only are we individual masterpieces, but TOGETHER, we have been created to be shining dailyhealthymale.com/be-careful-with-antidepressants-it-can-cost-you-an-erection/ examples of our Father’s heart and kingdom. He loves to co-labor with us, and he loves it when that collaboration extends throughout His body. The beautiful tree on this page is a great symbol of this reality for Safe Harbor.
Many of you placed your individual thumb print on this tree at our “Beautiful Things” Gala in May. Together, we are a pretty amazing work of art as well.
The photograph below captured the same concept at our “Beautiful Things” Prayer Walk and STOP TRAFFIC[KING] Day last October. Our handprints signified our devotion to the movement within our community to STOP sex-trafficking. This God-given mantle of responsibility is something we could never achieve on our own. Only with God’s help and strength, and with the POWER and AUTHORITY that comes from being his unified body, can we tackle this giant. Such a powerful WE.
Amy Willmann
Executive Director
Safe Harbor House