This past week we were blessed to have partnered with Amanda May Photos for a photo shoot with some of our patients and their babies. The weather was a bit overcast, but the smiles were pure joy as these moms were celebrated.
I have said it before, but it deserves to be said again, our pro-lifeness is more than a stance, a bumper sticker, or a vote. Frankly, it’s more than an ultrasound or a baby shower. Instead, we choose to go above and beyond at HOPE for our patients because of who we believe them to be. That’s right, we believe them to be image bearers deserving of our love, care, and service.
This is why we provide the long list of medical services, education, and material assistance at HOPE. We opened our doors over twenty years ago for the image bearer. That was our motivation then, that’s our motivation today, and that will be our motivation for many years to come.
This is why we seek out partnerships with Amanda May Photos for photo shoots, with churches for support, and with volunteers to provide food for our parenting classes. Everything we do is grounded in love for the image bearer. We fail in our mission when we lose sight of the image bearer and cast our focus on a mere stance.
These smiles, stories, and lives are the perfect summary to what HOPE is and has been over the years. We know that our work in Knoxville, TN may not be the answer to every unplanned pregnancy, but we believe that our being open and available certainly provides an environment that is conducive to the needs of many in our city.
These photos represent actual lives impacted through your generosity and support of HOPE. Pray for these patients and remember them as you stand with us in this work. They are going to shed a fair amount of tears along with the smiles you see here. They will see some dark days on the horizon, but your support and your prayers as you partner with us will provide them the love and light needed to move forward.
I write these words with confidence because I see it happen every single day in our doors. I see the impact a prayer, a card, or even a smile can have on the life of one of our patients. Your partnering with us isn’t done without purpose. It is through your partnership that the Lord provides a place called HOPE, and this is the place where life is valued. I pray that is a truth we can all stand on.
posted by Andrew Wood, Executive Director
