Healing in Beauty

You may have heard me say, “There is healing in beauty. And there is power in creating beauty.”  

We had been dreaming and planning for months abut working together on a mural.  Dominican Artist. America Olivo was introduced to me by my sweet friend Allison and we were determined to work together to facilitate beauty and empower girls in the creation of beauty.  

God knew the perfect time.  The absolute perfect time.  

We had just received a new three year old girl, a daughter.  Her abuse and trauma were ripping our hearts out.  We didn’t know how to wrestle with the pain of a three year old unable to eat, walk, or sleep because of the severe emotional and physical pain.

We carried it with her.

We held her until our arms were limp after hours of weeping.  We may have cried as many tears as her.  

With our eyes swollen and our weary hearts longing for a breakthrough, America and Allison arrived with boxes of paint and a plan to transform our gathering space into an Enchanted space of beauty and healing. 

Key Phrases and words were chosen to help us remember who we are, how far we’ve come and the hope of what is to come. 

Created for More. Daughter. You are chosen. To tell of his marvelous light. Faithful in little. Faithful in much. The miracle is you. Yes. You. 

I could almost deny how powerful it was and how much I needed it.  But a few brush strokes in, I almost wept. 

I watched little girls spend hours watching and painting. Their endurance surprised me and I realized, this wasn’t for them to simply behold and receive.  This was their healing too. They also felt the weight of the betrayal, abuse and darkness in our midst.

They needed the chance to put their hands to creating a more beautiful space, home, world.  They watched with wonder, but were not content to only sit on the sidelines. They wanted in.

Each girl put her hand to transformation. And trust me, it was more than walls!

We were creating beauty by believing we had beauty inside of us that others needed.

As we neared the end, I felt an urgent need to micromanage the process so we didn’t mess it up.  It was looking so good, I was afraid we might ruin it. I may have quenched some special moments of freedom, expression, and creativity.  

Fear always does that.  

We are all learning and growing and healing together. This was way more than a transformation of our walls.  But the walls look amazing too!