You know that place in your mind that you will not explore
or those topics we dare not let ourselves think about. The corner of your brain
that cannot make sense of certain things. That’s where we are going to visit
today. I never used to visit those places because it was too hard. It involved
a lot of emotions and questions. I would
just wave my hands like a wild banshee when someone would talk about something
disturbing. I would abruptly interrupt
them by yelling, “I don’t want to know… I DO NOT even want to know”. Stick my fingers in my ears and sing
“lalalalalala”. Change the channel on
the world news to something more pleasing to my senses like E! news. Let’s face
it, I was losing major sleep over Kimye. (Mom…that’s a term used for celebrity
couples like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West) Sunshine and butterflies were the only things
fluttering around in my mind.
The thing is… I was exactly where Satan wanted me. Too self
absorbed in my own comfort to give a flip about the suffering. That is… until I
let my mind go there. He began to open those eyes that I would keep so tightly
closed. But most importantly, he changed my heart. So perhaps to use the term
“I can’t wrap my mind around it” or “ I just can’t let my mind go there” are
not the correct words we should be using. Maybe it’s more about our heart and
allowing the Lord to use those things that disturb us so deeply to be agents of
change. There’s a reason they are disturbing.
This may seem pretty vague at this point and you are
questioning where I’m going with this. Stay with me here. Sadly though I know
that some of you will click away because I’m going to go to that place. Sex
Trafficking.
According to the International Justice Mission Sex
Trafficking Fact Sheet: (http://www.ijm.org)
Sex trafficking is a growing
global enterprise driven by deception, coercion and force. Traffickers
transport or detain their victims for the purpose of commercial sexual exploi-
tation. This trade in rape for profit thrives in the absence of robust law
enforcement to ensure the protection of the law for vulnerable children and
women.
THE FACTS
•After drug dealing, human trafficking (both sex
trafficking and trafficking for forced labor) is tied with the illegal arms
industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is
the fastest growing. (U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services)
•Worldwide, there are nearly two million children in the
commercial sex trade. (UNICEF)
• There are an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 children,
women and men trafficked across international borders annually. (U.S.
Department of State)
• Approximately 80 percent of human trafficking victims
are women and girls, and up to 50 percent are minors. (U.S. Department of
State)
•The total market value of illicit human trafficking is
estimated to be in excess of $32 billion. (U.N.)
• Sex
trafficking is an engine of the global AIDS epidemic. (U.S. Department of
State)
I remember the first time I did some research on human
trafficking. I went into it thinking it was probably women in their 20’s…then
my heart softened from all of the tears when I learned that the younger the
victim the more popular or sought after. As in 4 year old boys and girls. I have
a 4 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. The
one place I would NEVER let my emotions connect with was that something as
horrific as this would happen to my young children. Then I let my heart go
there and let it break for the things that break the heart of God as Bob Pierce
would say.
Children all over the globe in India, Cambodia, Africa, and
guess what...the United States are being exploited. It’s 2013 people…and this
is happening. Right now as we sit in front of our laptops reading this
countless children are being raped.
In most cases we shy away from doing something about these
things because we hear a voice whispering… “What do you think you can do about
it, your just one person”.
Well I have good news for you sister…YOU can do something
about this. My motto for the year: “When we know better…we DO better”. So this
is your “Do Something” opportunity to bring awareness to your community about
this injustice that affects the innocent and helpless.
Watch….
Visit http://www.nottodaythemovie.com
for ways you can bring the movie to your theater. Visit your local churches to
bring awareness to human trafficking. Pray for the local churches to unify in
behalf of the victims of this crime.
If you live in the Mountain Home, Arkansas area your
partnership in these efforts would be greatly appreciated. We ONLY need a 400
ticket commitment to bring this to our local theater.
There are over 2,000 verses in Scripture that point to the
God’s heart for the poor and oppressed and our responsibility to spread the
gospel by serving others in need.
The Lord of hosts says this: Render
true justice. Show faithful love and compassion to one another. Do not oppress
the widow or the fatherless, the stranger or the poor…Zechariah 7:9-10
For I the
Lord love justice, I hate robbery and injustice.. Isaiah 61:8
He has told you men what is good
and what it is the Lord requires of you: Only to act justly, to love
faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8
Friends…He will empower His church to rise up and accomplish
his goal of justice and mercy.
I don’t want to continue to sit comfortably in my pew
blessing the blessed. I want to respond to these things with compassion that
leads to action. To “Do Something”.
We don’t act because we think we
are unqualified, weak, ill equipped, and too small. But when you imagine giving
these excuses to a child trapped in slavery, you realize they are just
that---excuses. –The A21 Campaign
Some helpful resources:
Comment with any other resources you have found helpful in this area..
Peace Ya’ll
enditmovement.com
ReplyDeletethanks lindsay :)
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