**Reader Discretion Advised**
This is a real experience I had this past month, and I’m going to tell it in the way that it really happened. Therefore, I feel it important to warn you that this experience is not a pretty one. In fact, it’s quite disturbing and could be a trigger for some.
BUT
That’s not how it ends. This traumatic experience is one that brings forth victory and redemption!
During month 2, my team was planted in the heart of Myanmar. Some of the ministry that we were involved in included playing with kids at the orphanage our host lived at, evangelising the locals in the community, and teaching at a training for approximately 25 Myanmar missionaries.
That’s right. We were put in charge of giving three days of teaching to missionaries. Which was interesting, given the fact that we felt that we were the ones that needed the training!
In an effort to get down to business, I went to a nearby coffee shop (because where else do people go to get their creative juices flowing, am I right?). I sat down. I opened my notebook and prayed, “God, what do you want me to say because I really have no idea what the heck I’m doing here.” And the Lord totally met me there! God made an instant download in my Spirit and all I had to do was write it down.
It was awesome,and it only took 15 minutes – even better!
After I was finished, I began my walk back to the hotel to enjoy the beautiful, sunny day. I put my headphones in, turned the worship music on and the volume up! The joy I felt in that moment was overwhelming to the point where I walked down that busy road with my arms up in worship to the Father! I didn’t care who saw me or how weird I looked. I was bursting at the seams with elation and felt like I was on top of the world.
I was so focused on the lyrical beauty of worship pouring through my earbuds that I neglected to notice the car that was pulled over on the side of the road. As I was approaching this car, I glanced up and saw the driver side door was completely opened and the driver’s feet were facing toward the outside. In passing the car, to my horror, I saw this man had no pants on and was masturbating.
My utter shock compelled me to keep walking and not look back. With every step I took, the feeling of shame, embarrassment, and disgust got heavier and heavier. I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. Like the flip of a switch, I went from feeling like I was on top of the world to being sucker punched right in the face; bringing me to a whole new low that I’ve not felt in a really long time.
I heard a lie of the enemy being whispered, “You see that, Josie? All you are is an object of perversion. That’s all you’ve been good for and that’s all that you’re going to be good for. There’s no escape for you.”
And with that, I broke down and wept. I cried out to God; calling on Him to step in where I couldn’t and be the mighty warrior He says He is. I felt completely powerless to defend myself against what was happening.
Once I made it back to the hotel, I told my team what had just happened and my brothers and sisters responded. They all came around me and interceded on my behalf as I sat there with my head in my hands and tears effortlessly flowing down my face. As this was happening, I felt waves of peace coming over me; the kind of peace that surpasses understanding.
But I also felt a righteous anger welling up. I was pissed that the enemy thought he could attack me like that. I started to see the situation with new eyes… This was a last ditch effort to pull me back into the pit that God raised me out of.
OH HELL NO!!! THAT AIN’T HAPPENING!!
The next day, I delivered the teaching the Lord had given me to speak on and a man from the crowd got saved! This man had suffered from alcoholism and was only 23 days sober when he arrived at this training. He wasn’t a Christian, but one of the missionaries invited him to come along. That very day, he surrendered his life to Christ and was baptized! I could see God was making His counter attack.
But He wasn’t done just yet.
When the training sessions were over, I went back to that same coffee shop. I sat down, thanked God for all that had happened, and was overcome with joy! Then I sensed the Spirit telling me to walk home exactly the way I did just 24 hours before.
Uh oh.
I responded, “Okay, Father… I’m choosing to trust you in this. Just please don’t let me have to walk past any cars that are pulled over on the side of the street.”
So I put my headphones in, turned the worship music on, the volume up, and went on my way. Two minutes hadn’t even passed before I noticed a parked car on the side of the street.
“Crap. Crap. Crap. God please help me. I’m scared. Please make this car move somehow so I don’t have to walk by it.”
I got closer and closer to this car and it wasn’t going anywhere. As I passed the car, I felt a wave of irrational fear, but it fled as quickly as it came. In total, I had to pass four cars on that walk back to the hotel. By the end, I felt no fear and hardly paid any attention to the parked cars. I can’t describe how great it felt!
An incident that would’ve kept me in fear in the past, I am now no longer a slave to! God was out to lead me on a walk of freedom and redemption. I had the choice to take the traumatic walk a second time as a step of faith, and because I decided to say yes, that walk is now one of victory – not defeat. I now fight my battles with the understanding of who I am – the daughter of the King of kings!
THIS IS THE MORE THAT I’M MADE FOR!
I’m made for freedom.
I’m made for redemption.
I’m made for victory.
I’m made for joy.
I’m made for the love of the Father.
And I’m made to tell about it…
