WHEN:
When you hold a child who was raped as a 1 year old your life feels empty. Your mind goes everywhere. And then you have nothing to give them but real love. When you hold children who were sexually abused, beaten, or just left to fend for themselves on the streets, you want to start an orphanage. You want to adopt hundreds. You begin to wonder, what is wrong with the world? What is wrong with parents? How do I make these kids into kids again. Will they ever forget their past?
When you see a child no older than 7 huffing glue on the side of the road, something in your world tips upside down. As he sits there sniffing and sniffing, trying to forget about his life, his family, his home on the streets you feel helpless. All you can do is pray for the child and his addiction. And then you turn and see it all over the streets. Children with bags of white glue, attached to their mouths, huffing. You can watch the bag of glue inflate, then deflate, inflate and deflate.
When you honestly look into the eyes of a prostitute your heart breaks in two. They scream help, they call for hope. You see their fear for those few moments. Their slim bodies scream at the men that they want them. But only because they have to. The women and girls have babies at home to feed, families to care for. But truly they want out. They want free from their prison without walls.
When you stay in a city where 30,000 women are being trafficked you want to shriek. You want to raid the city and save everyone. Many of them being young girls between the ages of 12-17. That’s as young as my sisters. But you can’t. You can’t save them all. Your heart feels like it dies a little more with them each day. Knowing that girls are being sold by their brothers, or abducted then stuck in cages for years to service men and pay off their debt makes me realize there is something wrong with the human race. The girls and women have no choice. They are beaten and raped until they comply. Is your heart hurting yet?
When you hand steaming food to a homeless person you begin to see how much you truly have. When you go out at night to meet them on the street and they’re laying on carboard you think of your own house. And question whether you really need it? When you hold their grimy hand you pray that they begin a new life…one they can keep, without addictions or crime.
When you have a conversation with a man about to buy a prostitute a million emotions rupture through you. You want to love, and you want to kill. But if they let down their guard for one moment while speaking to you, their soul is exposed. You see how lost they are. They are just looking for more, looking for something to make them happy. But only needing Jesus and not knowing it. Soon you want them all saved and you want to hurt them less realizing you are a sinner, right along side of them.
When you go to a church service in Africa where there are no fancy lights, no comfy chairs, and no snazzy band you see transparent worship. Your heart questions the church at home. You wonder do we really need all the excess to worship Jesus?
When you stand in the streets of Kenya preaching, and Africans who have never met God come forward and accept him the atmosphere around you changes to celebration. Someone’s life is never going to be the same. And then you realize this is what Jesus did. You realize that as you travel around and share Jesus, people want to listen. Some don’t, but then again some do.
When you live in a remote village with no water or electricity, just enough to get by, you see true community. Your heart breaks for America. We are so caught up in technology and ourselves that we don’t look around to love our family, and our friends, even strangers enough. Something within you begins to question what would true community look like back home. Not just here on the race.
When you hug a child who has been drugged and hidden beneath the bed for days while his mother “worked” your head spins. You feel angry and sad. You want to do so much but can only do so little. You know there are more children out there, sleeping alongside the bed where their mother works. You just give all you have. And you don’t stop. Because love is unconditional. Love is selfless.
Become aware of what’s happening around the world. Be a voice. Speak up for the lost men, women and children. Pray up their lives. Our prayers are powerful and effective.
We must do more, say more, and love more. You don’t even have to leave America to see half of this. It happens at home too. And you never know who may need encouragement or just a hug. Even if it’s a stranger. Love like Jesus. Let them feel the difference. Let them feel what a Christian is. People constantly say, “Yeah, I’m a Christian.” Well stop talking and show it
I become so livid when I come in contact with these situations. My heart screams for justice while my eyes can do nothing but cry. I just pray that my touch and voice is all that is needed for God to do something mighty.
Love like you have never before because we are running out of time. Love these men. Love these women. Love these children. Love unconditionally.
Please.
When you see these things. When you feel these emotions. You realize the great need for Jesus. When all of this is happening around us there is hope.
There is Christ.
