Each year, Valentine’s Day makes men and women around the world yearn for something more. The yearnings vary from the physical to the mental to the emotional. Each February 14th the earth seems to quake with anticipation, loneliness, self-hatred, and “love.”
This year I spent Valentine’s Day in, what felt like, the epicenter of the V-day earthquake.
Thailand, Phuket Island, Patong Beach, Bangla Road,
Bangla Road is easily the darkest place I have ever been in my life. It’s about a quarter-mile long and is lined with thousands of prostitutes, Ping-Pong show promoters, and drunken tourists.
You look around and see women wearing almost nothing, dancing on poles on top of bars; men and women shoving inappropriate photos in the faces of passerby’s asking if they want to go see a “show;” women on the 2nd floor dancing on a pole in a glass cage; signs on blacked out windows for fetish bars and clubs; and groups of men wandering around with a drink in hand, wondering which bar to go to next.
To the world this place looks light, entertaining, fun, and free, but I have never felt so heavy, broken-hearted, or oppressed in my life then when I first stepped foot on that road.
We came to this place on this night for one specific reason: to bring God’s light, hope, and love into the total darkness. That night my team worked with teams from around the world to pass out 300 roses, notes of encouragement, and 100 gift bags to anyone we felt led to.
“Real Men Buy Flowers, Not Women.”
That is the, unbelievably appropriate, name for our ministry that night. I am so honored to have been a part of this incredible ministry during their third annual outing.
It’s taken me so long to write this blog because I can’t seem to figure out how to properly describe the change that took place on Bangla in just a few hours.
At 8:30p, after a time of worship on the beach, we split the 40 of us up into groups, picked up our roses, prayed, and set out for Bangla Road.
When we all met up on the beach again at 11p I felt a physical and spiritual difference in the air. During our time on Bangla we made friends with the street vendors, told prostitutes about the hope found only in Jesus, invited show promoters to free English class, and brought the Holy Spirit into a place previously without it. Bangla no longer felt as dark or oppressive but there was a glimmer of hope shining through the darkness.
2 and a half hours.
150 minutes.
That’s all the time it took to change my life.
I found a passion I hadn’t known about. A passion to show people their true value. Whether it be prostitutes in Thailand, my family, my ministry hosts, strangers, the girls I coach, or anyone I come into contact with, I want to show others just how precious and desired they are.
Each one of you who reads this:
You are precious.
You are desired.
You are worthy.
You are pursued.
You are LOVED, truly LOVED by the God who created the universe.
He looked at the oceans of Thailand.
At the mountains of Nepal.
At the redwood forests of California.
And He thought that it was missing you. HE deems you worthy and precious. HE desires time with you and is pursuing you constantly.
Maybe this February 14th you found yourself yearning for something more, but I can tell you that the God of the universe is yearning for more of you.
