Team Soul Sistaz and Team Uncaged are working with Lighthouse in Action, an organization that has many different branches of ministry. One of the branches, Love Acts, focuses on going into the Red Light District of Chiang Mai and bringing love and hope to the girls trapped in sex trafficking and prostitution. Our teams have been going into the bars most nights of the week in hopes of building relationship with the prostitutes and lady boys. Most of the time this looks like sitting down with them, ordering cokes, playing jenga, playing pool, and simply having conversations with them.
The Flash Bar is where Jenni and I spent most of our time on the nights we went out to the bars. We weren’t so sure if the girls were interested in being our friends on the first night we met them. When we went back several days later, the girls we met on the first night were jumping up and down, smiling and waving at us when they spotted us coming down the street. For me, that was such a sweet moment that I never want to forget. For those girls to realize that we love them enough to come back and visit them night after night meant they could trust us and form genuine friendships with us, something they can’t do with the men that buy them and use them.
One of the girls at the bar has the tips of her hair dyed hot pink. Without hesitation I told her I wanted some pink in my hair, too. Jenni and I set a date with her for the next day.
Sadly, the date didn’t work out. And neither did the next one.
However, I’m thankful the story doesn’t end there.
Today I loved that bar girl by letting her dye a strip of my hair pink.
I loved her by laughing with her.
I loved her by asking her questions about her life.
I loved her by buying her coffee.
I loved her with hugs as we said goodbye.
Even though she stood me and Jenni up twice, we still chose to love her and extend an invitation for a third (well, first) date.
I chose to continue asking her on dates because of the way Jesus gives me an abundance of grace every single day. I realized that Jesus never gives up on me when I stand Him up. So why should I give up on my friend at the bar? We, as humans, constantly deny dates with Jesus, and He pursues us in an unwavering manner.
I want to be a person who says yes to every date with Jesus.
Will you say yes with me?
