Insider - From the Director

“Why do people hurt me? What did I do wrong?”

By July 7, 2016 No Comments

Dear Friends,

“In that moment I started questioning my life. Why do people hurt me? What did I do wrong? I felt like I wasn’t good enough for nobody. Not even my kids.”

Keandra was just 28 when she decided that she didn’t deserve to keep living. Sexual abuse as a preteen and teenager gave way to domestic abuse as a young adult. She was trapped in a cycle of depending upon men who used and abused her, and her desperation led her to swallow a bottle of pills. Her kids discovered and revived her, but her arrival at Sheltering Wings is what truly saved her life.

You see, a safe place for Keandra wasn’t enough. If we simply provided shelter and sent her back on her own, she’d fall into the same cycle. Romans 12:2 calls upon us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Transformation is exactly what Keandra needed. The same is true for most of the women we serve.

Our goal is to guide women to independence and self-sufficiency. We help them understand that they truly are worthy of honor, respect, and love. We teach them better ways to contend with the challenges life throws at us. We share more effective ways to be a parent and ensure that the cycle of domestic abuse ends with them.

“I now know the meaning of true love, family, and what my God can do for me,” Keandra recently wrote. “Now I know why I didn’t die that day. I’m finally free…”

As you celebrate our nation’s independence this month, know that your generous, prayerful support is leading to independence for women like Keandra and creating new hope for their children (and their children).  When she writes, “The person I was two years ago would have just given up and gone back to my abuser, but the person I am today loves me more,” know that you made that happen.

Have a wonderful summer!

 

In His Service,

Cassie Martin Signature
Cassie Martin Executive Director