Dear Friends,
This is the month in which we spend a lot of time talking about freedom and independence.
Those are key elements of the American way of life … but they’re also very important to victims of domestic abuse. Much of the work we perform at Sheltering Wings is focused on freeing women from abuse and the fear that goes with it while helping them live safe, independent lives.
But there’s another freedom that’s important here. We have to free women of the responsibility for the abuse they’ve suffered. So often, people blame victims of domestic violence, as if being abused was a conscious choice they made, and one they can stop at any moment.
The fact is that the blame for abuse rests wholly with the abuser. There is never an excuse or valid justification for domestic abuse, and if we are going to succeed at eliminating it, we have to help abusers recognize that their behavior is unacceptable. Unless we begin to change the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of abusers, the only thing we’ll be able to do is help victims.
I hope you’ll continue your prayerful support of the work Sheltering Wings does for women and children who are trying to escape abuse and discover the true freedom of living lives that are safe from violence and other forms of abuse. Thank you for everything you do.
Abiding in Him,
Cassie Martin
Executive Director
