I believe I was in middle school when I first began noticing “SAFE PLACE” signs around town. I remember asking Mom what they were about. She explained that they were posted on buildings where a person could go if they were in trouble and in need of a safe place to find help. About fifteen years later, after I discovered my husband Wayne’s betrayals, I found myself in need of a safe place. Not a physical one with a black and yellow sign out front, but an emotional one where I could be real without fear of judgment or unsolicited advice.

The first few months after discovery, I felt anything but safe with Wayne. Looking back, it is very obvious to me what a blessing it was to be surrounded by about a half a dozen women who poured love on me during that time of such brokenness.

One thing that made them such a sweet and invaluable part of my healing was that they loved both Wayne and me. When they prayed over me, they would pray for his healing and restoration as well.

It was because they believed in both of us that I felt safe enough to share my heart with them. Whether I was in a moment filled with hope, or in one brimming over with despair, I could go to them and find safety. There were days when I shared the overflow of hope that I felt being poured over me, and days when I was free to just sit with them and cry over the overwhelming pain and sadness that I felt. And on the days when I felt both of those emotions and about fifteen variations in-between them, they just rolled through the ups and downs with me. It truly was quite the rollercoaster of a time for me. I can’t imagine how I would have gotten through it without their love, support, and prayers. I am so grateful for each one of them, and for the safe place that they provided for me during a time that I so desperately needed it.