This
past weekend I went to Holland. We spent one afternoon walking around Amsterdam.
It gave brand new meaning to window shopping. I couldn’t believe what I saw… 
Instead
of seeing windows filled with mannequins wearing the latest fashion I saw women
my age of all shapes and sizes in thongs, bikinis, fish nets and lingerie.
Each
woman stood behind a door. Some of them would do a little dance or give a
provoking smile, whereas others stood in a broken daze. Meanwhile, the men would
come to their door. I saw them knock and the door open. They entered, the door
closed, the curtain quickly shut behind them.
It
didn’t take me having to see anything to know what happens next…
Further
up the road, I saw another door open, a man leaving and continuing on with his
life. I saw a pimp with a content smirk, standing on the doorstep wearing his
big fur coat and hat.
At large, all I saw was a
cheap and skewed view of love.
As I
continued down the street with red lights I felt so helpless. All I could do was
smile at them. My eyes were drawn to the eyes of those on the other side of the
window. Each time they met, it felt like the world paused for a split second.
And
when this happened, I began to see something different.
I
saw hope in the midst of a lost and broken world. I saw value and potential in
each man and woman I passed. If only they knew. I saw the eyes of darkness and despair
see a glimpse of light and joy through a single smile.
I
saw that the search for temporary ‘love’ is not what they are truly looking
for.
They
are not even looking for something, but rather they are longing for someone.
Their search for LOVE is
really just a search for our eternal, everlasting, pure loving God.
Although,
day after day the red lights turn on, the men fill the streets and the women
fill the windows, there will be a day when the lights are turned off, when the
men will no longer be searching and the women will be set free….
Because
Now I see God’s everlasting hope is rising, his light is shining in the darkest
of all places and the kingdom is coming! There is nothing that can stop that!
