What happens when your dreams turn out looking like your nightmare?
I think it’s a lucky few that actually find them, unfortunately.
When I go to the streets to see the girls that are prostituted down there, I always like to ask them “what is your dream?” It says a lot of who a person is and their God intended purpose for their lives.
A couple weeks ago, I got to visit the Guadalahorce warehouse district for the first time during the night where the prostitutes post up on the street corners. It is usually too dangerous to walk around at night, but this time we were fortunate to have a driver take us. When darkness covers this area, the spiritual atmosphere shifts and it feels very dark and heavy. Even seeing some of their faces, although we didn’t know them, you can tell that the repetitive years of abuse numbed them into false versions of who they are.
It was cold this night, and I wondered how these girls stand out on these corners some with barely any clothing on. I watch the random car stop along side of a girl and after the transaction is made, she is taken away leaving an empty corner behind. All I wanted to do was hug them and let the love I felt for them flood through my touch before it was too late.
The area is divided, one side dominated by Romanian girls while in the opposite section there are the Nigerian girls. Some times you even run into transvestites that seem more provocatively striving for attention than the girls. The Romanian girls were very hostile to us and made it clear they didn’t want us around. Honestly, they intimidate me because the majority or all of them don’t know English, and well my Spanish hasn’t progressed enough to hold a conversation let alone explain why we are there. And why are we there? We tell them of Jesus, we speak hope letting them know that people are fighting for them, we pray for them, we love on them, and then we go. But it frustrates me, because EVERY ONE of them says they have no way out because no one will hire them. And it makes since, who would want to hire an illegal immigrant whose only job experience is prostitution? And I thought back to Jesus and how he didn’t just come and say “I am the Way” and left them, but he gave them what they needed whether it was food, healing, a touch, etc. And I realized we’ve got to get these girls jobs, we’ve got to get them off the streets, we’ve got to give them reason to dream. And what if our dream is being able to provide others with the chance for their dreams to come true?
I want to introduce you to a couple of these amazing woman……
We pulled up to a dark street corner and standing there was a young Nigerian girl. She was strikingly beautiful and there was a softness about her that hadn’t been stolen from her yet. My friend Michelle and I walked up to
her and she just glowed as we approached her. Sandra was her name and she is only 20 years old. She was very open with us. She told us how her dream was to become an actress. She had left her four sisters (one who made it to England) and her mother to try to find her dream and make money for her family. Then she stated to cry. She missed her mom. She hated what she did and was ashamed of it. I kept hearing God speak the word “Valuable”. And I told Sandra she is so valuable and there is no price that these men could put on her that would match how precious and valuable she is. She cried harder. And then we just hugged. It was no longer “prostitute” and “us”, but rather three women embracing crying together as we felt the others pain. We prayed over and told her we loved her. This experience brought me to a new perspective of how God’s love can never be limited to what has been done to us or what we have done. Even in those dark moments, we are fully loved.
Later, that night we came to another woman whose dream was to be a singer. Her name is Esther. To my surprise, we were prayed over by her. And wow, what a powerful woman she is. I was humbled beyond anything coming to tell these women about Jesus and here this woman prays for me! She even invited us her church! I know it seems odd because you don’t think of singing, praying prostitutes on street corners, but they exist! And wow did this woman love Jesus. But again she just couldn’t find a way out. I believe that this woman is going to live out a life like Esther in the Bible. She will find freedom. And she will lead her people into freedom. And we spoke and prayed that over her.
So, I am sitting here looking at a list of other names all with dreams matched to them. Dreams and lives that have been prostituted in so many different terms. My friend here told me “that it is a privilege to be able to dream”. Let that sink in! And how often do we take that for granted and even waste those dreams! But what if we walked into our dreams? What if our dreams will lead others into the freedom of finding their dreams…and what if through you being bold enough to live out your dream, others discover the privilege of being able to dream as well!
