Loved from the Inside Out

At an orphanage in Guatemala, author Dave Willis saw how deeply love can change a person’s life. Most of the children at the facility had been rescued from sex-traffickers or abusive families. Like Margarita, who had been abused by her father and uncle. Everyone who should have protected her wounded her instead.

When she arrived at the orphanage, she hardly spoke and didn’t trust anyone – especially men. John and Jessica, the couple who ran the orphanage, did their best to love Margarita and to help her feel safe in every way that they could. For months, there was no outer change. But something was happening on the inside: her broken heart was healing.

One night, during a social event, Margarita broke away from the girls she was talking to, sat next to John, and put her head on his shoulder. In Spanish, she said, “When I came here, I didn’t know what it meant to feel safe. Now I know what it means to be truly loved and protected.”

After being so mistreated, Margarita could have disconnected from her heart. And she might have, except someone valued her and showed her unconditional love. And because they did, Margarita was able to face her future with optimism and hope for the first time.

That’s the power of love. It’s not a feeling that comes and goes depending on your mood. It’s commitment. It’s sacrifice. It reaches into someone’s heart and changes it from the inside out.