Although my favorite thing about working at The WellHouse is the women that I get to interact with, a close second is our beautiful campus where the restoration work takes place. As you drive through the WellHouse gates, you can immediately feel an overwhelming sense of peace that can only come from God.

I have often heard the ladies say that their first thoughts when arriving are, “Where have these people taken me? This is the middle of nowhere!” Peace is not a feeling that they have typically experienced before, maybe even in their entire lives. Many of them feel a strong urge to run away from the calm, as it feels almost dangerous to them. While the idea of sitting quietly and having space to think might sound like a vacation to you, for most of our ladies, the stillness often brings up memories of traumatic scenes from their pasts.

Part of my job as their therapist is to sit with them as they work through those scary scenes and remind them that they are now safe. The emotions that come along with the work can be overwhelming, but with time, these brave women learn ways to manage those emotions more effectively.

As believers, we know that true peace can only come through Christ and His presence in our lives. One of my favorite scriptures is 1 Kings 19:11-13. In those verses, Elijah is searching for a word from the Lord and is prompted to go outside and stand before Him. It says that the Lord passed by and Elijah saw great winds tearing up the land, but the Lord was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. Next there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After all of that destruction, there was a low whisper. Elijah immediately heard the Lord in that whisper and covered his face.

The survivors at The WellHouse have seen destruction in their lives in far too many forms. My prayer for them is that when they come here, they have the opportunity to hear that whisper. Even when the quiet feels scary, they can find peace when they hear that whisper.

Peace at The WellHouse