The Wounded

So I watched a documentary in the wee hours of the morning that was......heartbreaking, to say the least. It is called 'The Day My God Died'. That is what the Nepalise and Indian girls say of the first day they are placed in the brothel. Lured away from home or kidnapped outright, they are drugged and taken to the teeming red light district of a large city were they are forced to exist in circumstances too horrible to imagine. Many eventually die of the diseases they contract, or are killed for resisting this lifestyle.

The thing is, this is not merely some other country's problem. This doesn't just happen overseas, it doesn't just happen in third world countries. It happens here. At home. And not only are little girls and women smuggled in from other countries, our own neighbors are being victimised.

Out of all the trafficking cases reported this past year, 83% of the girls were US citizens. One of the largest draws for human trafficking is major sporting events. It's estimated that somewhere around 10,000 women were specifically brought in for the Super Bowl last year.

Despite efforts to stop it, up to 300,000 girls from age 11 to 17 are manipulated and lured into the industry every year. Around the world, 1.2 million children are trafficked yearly.

This staggers me. I can't imagine a life so horrible. I can't imagine the depths of depravity and greed and lust that would lead someone to harm other human beings in such a way. My initial reaction is one of fury towards the people who treat others with such contempt and unspeakable cruelty! My strong sense of justice kicks in and I want to punish them within an inch of their wretched lives!

But then I have to stop and think. The same heart that wounds is a heart that's wounded. The pimps and the johns and the madams are people, too. They once were innocent little babies. They were children. They've loved and laughed and cried the same as anyone else. Their hearts are in the same state mine had been, the same state in which mine would still be, if I had not been washed by the blood of Jesus, if I had not been justified and the work of sanctification begun in me.

The bullies and the slave masters are enslaved every bit as much as the sweet little girls and the broken women. They, too, deserve our pity, our compassion.

Sin will continue on in this world, atrocities will be committed every day until Jesus comes again, but we don't have to sit idly by and watch. Nor should we hunker down into our cozy little hermitage and block out the world. We may not always be able to physically do something about the things that are happening, but we can ALWAYS pray.

So would you pray with me? This week, whenever you see an ad for the Super Bowl, when you're planning your party, when you get together with your friends and family on Sunday to watch the game, whenever you are reminded, would you pray? Pray for those who are enslaved? Those who are trafficked? Those who are traffickers? Our God is mighty to save.

If you are willing to have your heart broken, and to gain insite into how to pray sepcifically for those in this trade, below you'll find a link to the documentary, 'The Day My God Died'. A word of caution: it is NOT easy to watch and it is NOT for young ones, so please exercise discernment in where and when to view this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV5W6F4L5i8&feature=fvw&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.watchfreemovies.ch%2Fwatch-movies%2F2003%2Fwatch-the-day-my-god-died-10571%2F

Be Still My Heart...

I saw this precious face on a blog about Chinese foster care today, and my heart just melted...

Oh, Lord, can You please hit fast-forward to the day I can bring one of Your sweet babies home?
Give me the strength to continue waiting.

'The Sword of Teneraz' by Elizabeth Marie Kauffman

Recently, I picked up a book that a friend of mine has written, entitled 'The Sword of Teneraz'. My friend, Elizabeth Kauffman, published it last year, and I had been wanting to read it for some time, but with one thing and another, I didn't get around to cracking it open until last week. And I'm so glad I did! It's over 350 pages of pure adventure (insert blissful sigh here). I was in dire need of some wholesome distraction (I've been sick for the past week and half), so I picked it up and started reading...

At first, I thought it might be a little weird reading a book written by someone I know personally, I've never had that experience before! But after the first few pages, I stopped imagining her writing the book :-), and got lost in the story. Yay!

Without giving too much away, I will tell you that the story is a bit of an allegory that takes place in another world and another time (I love those kinds of stories!). It follows the adventures of three new-found friends as they escape from the clutches of an evil king, and travel the length of the country to find help and sanctuary with those who oppose him.

The book is full of battles and swordfights (woohoo!), fantastical creatures and suspenseful escapes. It's an intriguingly imaginitive world, complete with its own languages. One of the things I love best about it, though, is the spiritual depth. It shows people for who they are - weak, doubting, hurting, prideful, fearful, kind, courageous - and shares that the faults can be overcome, and the good builded upon and grown.

Another thing I appreciated about 'The Sword of Teneraz' is something that's rarely touched upon in books or movies, and that is a respect for life. We get so used to seeing and reading about people dying and being killed in battle, it kind of becomes old hat. We don't think about the fact that a unique life has just ended. A person. Even those on 'the other side', the 'bad guys', are lovingly created human beings. And taking the life of another person, even rightfully in war or self-defense, changes you. There's no going back. And it's not something to be proud of, not something to gloat over. It's a very serious thing.

In all of this, the characters are directed back to the fact that there is Someone bigger than they are. Someone in control of the world who cares for their well-being. Though they may not understand why they're being asked to do what they have been, they can trust that it will work out for good. And that is what the story is truly about.
The battle between good and evil is a great part of the story, but ultimately, it's about learning to trust the King. And that makes it well worth the read, in my book.

Below, you'll find a link to Elizabeth's book on Lulu.com:

And this is a link to Elizabeth's blog, where she posts updates on her books, among other interesting things. :-)

Oh, and guess what? "The Sword of Teneraz' is just the first book in a series! Yay! Elizabeth is currently writing the second book in The Chronicles of the Sword of the Kings, which will be called 'The Wolves of Langoor'. So stay tuned!

Artwork

I found some of the most beautiful Chinese watercolors yesterday! I have no idea who the artist is, as I can't read Chinese...yet. :-) But these paintings blew me away! I'll have to post some more later.

Enjoy!

Thoughts...

Do you ever wonder what God's up to? Why He seems so silent sometimes? I get the feeling that it's kind of the calm before the storm, that He's getting ready to do something big! But it's so hard to wait for. Waiting, watching, wondering...

That's where trust comes in. I know He's faithful, I know He's trustworthy, I know know He'll do what is best for me and what will most glorify His Name, I know He knows infinitely more than I do and will do so much more than I could ever ask or think of. My mind knows. My heart, on the other hand...

I've seen my Saviour do great things. I've watched Him care for me, preserve my life, provide for my every need, even many of my unnecessary wants. And yet, I find myself doubting that He'll do what I so hope for. I know that saving me in the first place was more than He ever needed to do for me. I don't deserve it, I never have, I never will. If that were all that He ever did for me, it would be way more than enough.

I know His calling on my life, but it seems so impossible. I know my God is the God of the impossible. Humanly speaking, the things he has guided my heart towards could never actually happen. I know He can do it, but it's not happening. I don't see Him doing anything.

And that brings me back around to trust. If He has given me a mission, He will fulfill it in His own time. And I'll just have to learn some patience! :-) Just because I can't see Him working doesn't mean He isn't.

My heart whispers doubts...."What if you were wrong? What if He really didn't say that? What if you made it up because it's something you want? What if it's yet another in a long line of hopes and dreams that never came true? What about all those people who are just waiting to say 'I told you so'? It's not possible...God won't do it, He doesn't have to and He won't..."

But I have to keep coming back to what I know. What the Scripture says about my God. He works all things together for good, and in the end, if I knew what He knows, I would choose His way over mine. My task is to obey. Just obey what He asks of me one step at a time, and His perfect will will be done. His Name will be glorified and vindicated. That's what matters. And He is the one who knows best how His Name is to be glorified, I just have to get out of the way and let Him do it.

Broken Hearts

This poor boy's time has run out...he looks so sad and lonely... :-(

When Kyle turns 14, he will no longer be eligible for adoption. I pray the Lord will protect him, make His presence known him and let him know he's not alone.

The treatment of these children breaks my heart. I can't imagine how it must feel to be neglected, unwanted, unloved, belonging to no one, bearing pain and a broken heart all alone...with no one to teach them the Truth. That they ARE loved, they ARE wanted, that they're NEVER alone, they have a Father.

Why don't we do something? What are we waiting for? I wonder how many orphans would be left in the world if every Christian took in just ONE of these lonely children?

Are we not called of the Lord to take care of the orphan? Are we obeying? Are we waiting for just the perfect time...some day...down the road...

Are we listening to His whisper, His command to love the fatherless? Or are we too busy, too comfortable, too focused on what we want, too....whatever?

I think we need to seriously consider and prayerfully pursue what the Lord may be calling us to do, consider that He may be trying to get our attention, grab our hearts, inspire us not to hoard the love He gives us, but give it away to someone who needs it. Someone who needs Him and is just waiting to be shown the way.