Last night I had a dream that left me laying in bed around 3:17am wide awake. The details of the dream are blurry, but I do vividly remember that it was about a girl being taken – trafficked.
I woke up scared, angry and anxious.
Every day I am incredibly aware of the men here – the men who stare, who try to touch us in inappropriate places on an overcrowded bus, the men who secretly take pictures of us while we are eating lunch…
Every day I hear of women who are not loved by their [alcoholic] husbands. I hear of women who are beaten by their families, because they gave birth to a girl. I hear of 10 year old girls who are already married off, but will not be sent to their husbands until they get their first period…
Each and every day we work with women and young children who are at risk for being trafficked. Each and every day I have the privilege to work with these women, teaching them skills, so that it doesn’t happen…
Each and every day I wonder if what I’m doing is enough?
This morning I woke up with Ephesians 6:12 repeating over and over and over in my mind:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
The darkness of India has been burdening me more than it should. Yesterday I was ready to be done. I was tired of having to worry about where I go, what I say, who I interact with, what men are thinking when they talk to me and if I should even respond to them at all.
As I was laying in bed at 3am, praying and listening to my iPod, I felt like it was a time of putting my armor on.
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” Ephesians 6: 13-18
My battle is not physical – it is spiritual. I am a child of the Father of Lights and that means darkness must flee. I will not sit down and be silent these last few days in India…there is a battle raging…
And I am ready to FIGHT.
