Prostitution, you’re tugging on my arm.
As I take a stroll down the street here in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I take a second and witness how much darkness is around. From the offers of drugs in your face at every corner, to the pounding bass from the speakers of an attractive bar nearby, to so many beautiful women walking past you in the street, to literally having to pull away from women trying to drag you into a “Spa” where people pay for, let’s say, extra attention. The fight has never been so raw in my life. This city is a precisely designed and destructive hurricane for the enemy. Sucking in victims by it’s brute force. The enemy has mixed this impressive concoction of exhaustion, unfamiliar territory, temptation, anger, frustration, dissatisfaction and plenty other feelings to convince me of a weakness to give in. I’ve come to realize the grasp temptation has had through my life thus far. The moment you root your feet and take stand, you realize the immaculate power of those winds. I look back and now recognize how many times and how easy it’s been to turn towards the world instead of the Father.
You see, I knew this coming into this journey. That the enemy will see where you’re weak and attack it. What I didn’t realize, was how real this battle would be. I’ve never found myself in such a lost, confused, and fatherless environment. Sure, it’s easy to sit in the comforts of a not so physically tempting environment back home and say “Oh, I got this”, but you can only experience these situations in the heart of it. On the battlefield. Where God strategically places us. Even though I know the battle is already won, it doesn’t mean you aren’t going to have to fight. The enemy attacks our weaknesses, the Father presents opportunity to rise and acknowledge the victory. To just fight for Him. Which I’m not afraid to do. But the fight in this isn’t an easy task. I’ve never been so centered in spiritual warfare than I am right now.
Ephesians 6:11 says “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
As I pull away and keep walking forward past the tug of a beautiful woman, heart beating out of my chest with temptation, I thank God. When it feels as if everything inside me screams for it, I pray and take another step. When it feels like everything in me wants to just go with the pull of pleasure, He knows where I am. He knows why I’m here. He believes in me. That He has chosen me to be right here in such a dark realm and know the light inside me is brighter. That He trusts me. He can turn to the enemy and say “Go ahead and try. I know my child better than you.”
I never knew this pleasure had such a grip. Such a pull. I thank God for the placement. For the hurt it brings. It allows me to address it and learn from it. To grow in it. I’m not going to avoid this world because it’s scary, it’s dark, or in this case, tempting. I’m going to step in it with a confident, humble, and hungry attitude. A hunger for understanding. An opportunity for growth. Not only for myself but for others around me. For the people I walk alongside with and for the individuals involved in the shadow the enemy casts. There’s opportunity here. What am I going to do with it?
An image I’ve seen recently is of a father and his son sitting at their recently acquired home. The father asks the son to join him in painting their newly built fence. The son, deep down not wanting to get up, says sure. They walk up to the fence with their supplies and ready to get this done. The son comes up with an “efficient” idea of each starting on one end and meeting in the middle. It will cut the time in half right? Smart! The father says no, we both start on this end. The son is aggravated, confused, and just not wanting to do this as he strokes up and down the fence thinking how much better his idea was. Later when finished, the father sits his son down and shares the lesson in it. The building of character. Of learning a perspective of not just taking the easy way out. Often times we can get lost in what we don’t see or what only we see. We can let ourselves miss the overall more important lessons from work and sacrifice. Even if that sacrifice is time. This day in age we get so focused on the fastest way that we miss the teaching. This strips us of our clarity right in front of us. The work involved is where lessons become clear. This story shows the importance of where I am. Why at times it hurts. That it takes sweat. But with each simple stroke, there’s growth.
Do you only see suffering in your struggles? Do you only see the hurt you feel? That the glass is only half empty? I challenge you to reflect and ask yourself the tough question of “What is God teaching me here?”
There’s a beauty in the struggle. There’s teaching in it. Are you willing to learn even when all you can see is pain? Open. Your. Eyes.
There’s always more to the story. Don’t judge the story by the scene. Don’t let the enemy creep in and take authority to stop the story because you don’t like the scene. Where the story stops is up to us. You can’t get to a resurrection without a crucifixion. Move forward in faith. Sometimes the very thing the enemy uses to destroy you is what God uses to defeat him.
A quote I’m often struck by is in “The Insanity of God” By Nik Ripken
“before we can grasp the full meaning of Resurrection, we first have to witness or experience crucifixion. If we spend our lives so afraid of suffering, so adverse to sacrifice, that we avoid even the risk of persecution or crucifixion, then we might never discover the true wonder, joy and power of a resurrection faith. Ironically, avoiding suffering could be the very thing that prevents us from partnering deeply with the Risen Jesus”
So, currently I am $3,710 away from being fully funded (which is $16,961) and able to put the fundraising aspect of this journey behind me and strictly focus on the mission at hand. If you feel called or lead to help out you can do so here above! I challenge, if you read this post, to pray about donating $20 towards our work. We still have 9 months left and 8 more countries to hit. Currently in Vietnam. Love you all and thank you all so much for the support. This journey is something that is propelling me into a better tool for the Father.
