Clay is fighting to be a father. This portrait is from the first weeks of recovering his life after a decade of rock bottom. He had been shattered by not having a father growing up, which caused his empty quest for fulfillment. “All I longed for was my dad to just hold me,” he said. After a long struggle, a near-fatal car accident, and time in prison, he was given a second chance at Faith City Mission in Amarillo. One evening in the dish pit, Clay released control. “Lord, I wanna be a dad to my little Cora,” he prayed. “Whatever the outcome of my legal situation, I put it in your hands.” The very next morning, his 20-year sentence was wiped clean. “My first thought was, Go be a dad.” Clay reflected. The Program Director said she noticed a new confidence in him after his portrait session. Through the retro clippings and the old hymn board found at the rescue mission, his portrait tells a story of a man who follows after God’s heart to be a present father for his children.

Displayed at Faith City Mission, Amarillo TX