Bangla road. A place where sin is heavy and darkness is evident. As you walk down the street you see lines and lines of women dancing on poles in little to no clothing. Lights are blinding and the music is blaring, pulling you into the madness of the night. You can barely walk because people are forcing inappropriate photos in your face convincing you to purchase a lady for the night, or to watch an inappropriate ‘ping pong’ show. Where people are staring at women with degrading and lustful eyes. Where the women in the bars and on the poles look dead and broken. Where you see a rampage of people ready to fall into the temptations of the enemy…
.jpeg&maxwidth=640)
Now you’re awake. You’re aware of the reality before your eyes. You are firsthand witnessing the saddest thing you’ve ever seen. Your heart breaks. You put yourself in the girl’s position. She’s a daughter, she is loved, she is hopeless, she is lost. You put yourself into the shoes of the man who is exposing himself to this scene and contributing to the industry. He may be single, he may be married, he may have children. He is still a son, and too, may be broken, lost and confused. You watch as he goes in and out of many ‘exotic’ shows and lounges. You see the way he touches the girl dancers and the way he lusts after them. You start to get mad at the man and want to run right up to him and give him a piece of your mind. You start asking God how people can be apart of this world and apart of this heartbreaking industry. As you sit and watch, you are suddenly humbled by The Father…
I’ve spent a lot of this month in the bars and on Bangla road where I’ve witnessed anything and everything. Being that I spent two years of my teen life in the clubs, I figured this would be an area I would be familiar with. I thought that it would be the same old thing that I saw when I was a teen. Unfortunately, the scene was heightened and truly heartbreaking. Since those years, my heart has changed. I have found freedom in The Lord, and a love for The Father that I’ve never had. I understand how he see’s me as a daughter and as His beloved. He adores me. He protects me. He loves me. As I experienced everything I wrote about above, I got a glimpse into The Father’s heart about this place. He too, see’s the man the same way he sees me. He is broken for his son, because he is lost and in need of a savior. He loves him so very much and it hurts him to see him in places like this. But he too, deserves grace. Jesus also grieves for his beloved daughter. He wants nothing more than freedom over her life. He wants her to find the love of the one who loves her most. The Lord grants me grace on a daily basis and I had to learn to give grace to these people on Bangla road. They know not what they do because they are living of the world and do not yet have a relationship with The Lord. Who am I to judge their lives? I sin on a daily basis and The Lord still loves and forgives me.
I’ve been humbled through the streets of Bangla road and The Lord has truly done a work in my heart this month. He doesn’t call us to judge this world, but to love this world. He blessed my team with encounters of people who we are so happy to have met. God protected us heavily this month, against all temptations and lies of the enemy. At the end of the day, we are called to love. That is it. We aren’t called to condemn or to cast stones, because we struggle ourselves. This month I’m overwhelmed by the grace and love of God. He loves all of his children.
