I am nearing the end of a 6 month intensive training program with an organization called Door To Grace in Portland. It was jaggedly emotional and invasive to my heart. At the end of Saturday I was so overwhelmed and outraged, I sat in my car and cried. And it was not the first time.
Saturday I listened to a beautiful, articulate, 25 year old woman with a twinkling laugh talk about how there was not one year between the ages of 6 and 18 that she was not physically or sexually abused. At 12, when she finally got the courage to tell a "friend" about the abuse at home, that "friend" sold her to a pimp for $50 in drugs and her life only darkened from there. How can you come back from that? Is it possible to become whole again?
I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about "pimp" culture. Heard brutal words used to describe and diminish the underage girls who are being bought and sold to finance fancy cars and expensive champagne. Some of these pimps are treated like gods on the streets of their neighborhoods and held up as the ideal for masculinity while the girls they have destroyed are silent and hidden human sacrifices.
It is hard to know how to reach into this darkness. It is estimated that there are at least 1000 children being sold on the streets of Portland. How do we begin to stop the systematic pillaging of innocence in the defenseless children of our world?
I don't have any of these answers. Thankfully it is not up to me. I know that God can redeem the hearts and minds of these beautiful children and make them whole. HE will reach into those dark places and bring light.
So if God will do all of that then what should I do? I think Augustine had it figured out when he said " What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.”
I know God will lead this effort but this seems like a perfect place to start.
i am so proud of you for becoming involved, for not looking away or pretending, but taking action by weeping for these girls and educating/arming yourself.
ReplyDeletei would love to hear your thought--as they come--on how we might encourage you and take courage ourselves. I, too, believe God is interested and capable. and like you, I also desire to make use of more than my spiritual means.
~leslie
Thank you Leslie. It's been a very interesting education thus far. I will keep you informed about anything I find that can be done.
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