I see you walk with hesitation onto that stage.
The hand you hold in front of your eyes does not hide the brokenness from me.
Your body’s curves hold beauty, but they are not all that I have created in you.
The sway of your hips, the red of your mouth, the allure of your body is a temptation to many.
And yet… I see you.
I see you slipping into the back room with the other dancers to compare the size of your stomachs.
I see you tugging at the hem of your tiny shorts in an effort to cover more.
The pain of this life is not hidden from my eyes.
I heard your cries for justice… for mercy… for real love… for me…
I hear you.
And I am coming for you, my love.
I am here ready to show you the true meaning of love, my darling.
Step into my arms, my daughter. Allow me to mend your heart.
I see you sitting on the couch there in the darkness.
I see the torment you go through as you touch woman much younger than yourself.
I see you buying more beer to quiet the voices telling you exactly what you are doing.
The wounds that bring you to this place to drown your sorrows in the arms of a beautiful moment can be permanently healed.
I see you and I long to be your redeeming kinsmen.
You fly on the wings of your desires and desperately fumble about searching for young water to quench an unquenchable thirst in the depth of your soul, but nothing short of myself will give you that rest.
I see you. Come to me, my son.
Tonight I sat on a couch in a dark dance bar watching cockroaches crawl next to my arm and women my age or younger dancing as men gawked and lusted after them. I held a sprite in my hand, allowed the cigarette smoke surrounding me to flow into my nose, and prayed earnestly as woman after woman got on the stage before me to perform provocative dances for the men surrounding the stage. With the armor of salvation fitted to us we were able to go into the darkness of the night, walk among the hopelessness and hold out the hand of Jesus to both the men and woman of the establishment. It was not an easy task emotionally… But the God of heaven longs for His children to come to him. Several of the girls gave us their phone numbers and my squad mates plan to go out for coffee with them later this week.
As we walked out of that place we left the name of Jesus behind in the minds of those around us. Hopefully soon he will also crash into their hearts.
Pray, my friends, pray for the places such as this where beauty is distorted.
All for now through the eyes of a storyteller.
