See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you
that in heaven their angels always see
the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a
hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine
on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds
is, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that
never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that on
of these little ones should perish!” Matthew 18:10-14
On Bangla Road God has once again, taught me the importance
of going after the one.
I met Ling on Monday when the band that is serving with us
played a night of worship at the bar across from hers. She was leaned back,
elbow on the table behind her, her short denim shorts showing off long slender
legs crossed with her high heeled foot propped up on the bar stool, stomach
completely exposed by the short tight vest that she wore. She had a pretty face
with a cigarette delicately balanced in the cleft of the corner of her mouth.
Her long black hair half pulled back hung loosely around her face. And her dark
eyes looked on questioningly at the band behind thickly painted black eye
liner.
Before I approached her God spoke to me that Jesus is
pursuing her. He spoke the name of Jesus over her. That night I became friends
with Ling. We talked about everything from where we were from, to our siblings,
what we like to do, what her dreams are, our past relationships, and I found
out she has never heard the name of Jesus before. I didn’t elaborate just yet.
The next night I visited her we continued to build on the
foundation we started. We laughed a lot and by the end of the night had set up
a coffee date. The next afternoon Jeanne and I were waiting in Starbucks for
her and when she walked in a wave of emotion swept over me. She was dressed in
a pair of beautifully colored parachute pants, a loose fitting teal v-neck
t-shirt, a pair of shoes resembling TOMS, bangs pulled back in a headband and
no make up. She looked like me. She looked normal.
I don’t know what I was expecting, I guess, half expecting that she would be
wearing something short, cut off, tight and revealing. . . . but she looked like me. And the love of the
Lord swept over me and my heart broke once again for this little baby girl of
the Lord’s. I saw the real Ling. She
was natural and beautiful. Who she became at night is not who she is. She is not a prostitute. She is a
girl who has somewhere along the way bought into a lie in hopes of finding the
secret to a fulfilling life.
After we got our Starbuck’s coffee we walked on the beach.
With every topless Westerner that we passed she turned her head and blushed. I
asked her if that embarrassed her and she nodded her head. “I just don’t
understand why they wear so little. I never wear so little like that.” Without knowing she was becoming more and more
transparent. I could see into her heart. She might say with her words she like
working in the bar because she is young, but her heart is revealing something
deeper.
Last night I visited Ling again. She greeted me with hugs,
smiles, and a kiss on each cheek. I began to tell her why I was there; why I
visited her every night. Plainly put it was to be her friend and to love her. I
began to say, “When I was 23 my life looked much like yours. I was drinking,
smoking and I was going home with guys at night too. And I know that in the
morning when you wake up alone or when the guy goes home, sometimes you are
left feeling empty and unloved.” Her eyes rimmed with tears as she whispered,
“Yes.” “And I come down here because I want to show you a love that is pure;
the love of a friend, a love that expects nothing in return. I love you for who
you are, not for what you do. And I know that these guys love you for what you
do, they loved me for what I did, but we desire to be loved for who we are.”
Again a solemn “Yes” was murmured. Tell
her how you are able to love her like this . . .
“Ling, I am able to love you like this because this is how
Jesus loves you. And he sent me all the way around the world to tell you that
you are loved.” I then got Mana, a lovely Thai girl from YWAM to explain the
gospel to Ling because she had never heard or had the chance to understand it.
Afterwards her façade completely fell away. Behind us a
couple was kissing very passionately and was obscenely into one another. Again Ling became very uncomfortable and stated how she wished they would leave. Then
the bar owner came up. She said something to Ling in Thai and her face fell. “I
have to go dance.” She said looking down. The bar owner returned with shots,
one for each bar girl; liquid anesthetic to help numb the pain of emptiness as
they took their place on the pole. Ling tried to give Jeanne her shot. She didn’t take it. Begrudgingly she swallowed it down
and her face contorted in disapproval. She took her place on the platform. The
smile I have grown so accustomed to faded, the glow in her eyes dimmed. I tried
to make her smile by acting goofy but it was apparent where her heart was at. .
. .
Please remember to lift up every single one of God’s baby
girls today. The Lord is working. He desires to transform the lives of his
children, one life at a time. Pray for my friendship with Ling as I continue to
visit her.
