Love That Heals: Becca Stevens and the Women of Thistle Farms Bring a Message of Hope to First Presbyterian
It was a joy to welcome Becca Stevens and the women of Thistle Farms to First Presbyterian last Sunday. In her chapel presentation, Becca spoke about trauma-informed economics and how the healing communities created through Thistle Farms serve as a beacon of hope for women seeking stability and restoration. She shared that providing safe housing and rehabilitation costs about half as much as incarceration, showing how compassion and practical care can reshape systems. Becca also reflected on the power and privilege of “watching the pot boil,” the commitment to stay present through the slow work of healing. At the heart of her message was a reminder that transformation happens in community, where we are received in our brokenness and discover that love has the power to heal us all.
In her sermon, Becca Stevens reflected on the story of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John as a picture of the long journey of healing that begins with a quiet longing for something more. She described how Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the night with a whispered question, much like the hidden questions people carry in their own hearts about love, meaning, and hope. Drawing from her work with Thistle Farms and women who have survived trafficking, addiction, and violence, she illustrated how love heals through three movements: the whisper that awakens us, the dogged persistence that keeps us showing up for one another, and the final surrender that allows love to do its deepest work. Through powerful stories of survivors, refugees, and those who seemed lost to suffering, she emphasized that even when the world feels broken, love has never truly failed. Instead, love calls people into courageous compassion, long-term commitment to justice, and the quiet acts of care that restore dignity and hope.
At the lunch event, two women from Thistle Farms shared powerful testimonies of healing and transformation. Kim S. spoke about her deep longing to belong and how entering the Thistle Farms program became a turning point in her life. Surrounded by women who loved her where she was and showed her new ways to build healthy relationships, she discovered hope and a new path forward. Today, she serves as the Retail Manager at Thistle Farms and is a strong leader and speaker. Ty J. shared her story of growing up around drugs, experiencing homelessness, surviving sex trafficking, and spending time in prison before finding restoration through Thistle Farms. Now the Director of Body & Home, Ty walks alongside women arriving from the streets, reminding them they do not have to pretend to be okay to be loved. With a powerful gift for connection, she helps women begin again, finding meaningful work, safe housing, and become reunited with their children. Together, their stories offered a moving witness to the power of love, community, and the hope of a transformed future.
In hearing these stories, we were reminded that God’s work of restoration is often quiet, patient, and deeply relational. Through communities like Thistle Farms, love continues to take root, offering healing, dignity, and new beginnings for those who need it most. In the process, we are reminded that the same love that restores others is also at work within us, gently healing our own hearts and drawing us deeper into God’s grace.