There is a song with the lyrics, "I want to be like David, and I want to slay a giant."
What a prime example of how a heart feels when you carry Father God' s heart…
Let me explain…
On Friday nights, late into the evening, our team visits a particular street in a nearby city that is well known for its prostitution. If you simply look with natural eyes, you see women of different ages standing on corners, or in front of banks or stores dressed in flashy and inviting attire… their hair is fixed and sprayed, and their makeup is freshly on their face because most of them keep it on standby in their purse. Their feet are dressed in heels that serve to accentuate their exposed legs and backside..
You can stand at a distance and watch. Some people do. Some people are simply used to seeing this street adorned with such "scenery" that they walk past without a second glance. Cars and buses drive by as usual on their way home from work.. The pharmacy on the corner still operates according to its hours. Other persons across the street are waiting for their ride to return home so they can join their own families. Still others are walking past to dine at the nearby restaurant…Life continues as "normal".
..
And then other cars are there for a "drive-up". They blinker to the left lane and then slowly pull their vehicle to the curb nearest to the woman that appeals most to their taste...
Flirting, negotiating, and then the woman walks around the side of car and hops in the front seat..
What are you feeling? Let's go there for a moment..
While standing on the street, or even sitting here in our missionary base writing this, I feel HUGE heartbreak as I remember the girl getting in the car; EVERYTHING inside of me is screaming "NOOOO, DADDY GOD, NOOO!". I suddenly remembered myself back in the States throwing the remote control at the screen yelling the same thing as I watched a similar scene of a trafficking movie.
Here I am, and now when and if the girl makes eye contact with me as she gets in the car, I smile with love upon her, and I even greet the man in the driver seat. Maybe one of these days I will actually stand in front of the car with an outstretched arm and say "That's enough. You are both coming with me and we are going to have a "come to Jesus meeting" RIGHT NOW because you are way to valuable for me to simply smile at." This may work with some. Or, I may get run over. Furthermore, I may not have an opportunity afterward to talk with this woman because from her perspective, I just stole her children's breakfast from her hands…
I remember the lyrics as I converse with my Father in Heaven.. "Daddy, I want to be like David; I want to slay this giant. I want to see an end to this. I want to see these victims and perpetrators be released from the dark dwelling place that they call 'life' "…
So, what do you do? What would you do?
Last Friday, I sat on the street floor with two girls. One girl was 28 years old, and single which is rare.. She began to share parts of her life with us, and explained how she is not ashamed of what she does. It's a good job because it pays well, and she's good at it…
The other girl, also 28 years of age, has two children. After she shared some of her life with us, I took my hands off her feet, looked her in the eyes, and with passion and compassion, I began to tell her that Jesus is burning with jealous love for her, and this is the truth…and there is a way out.
Several times she looked at me, eyes filled with tears..
These are not women made to stand on a street corner and sell their bodies for sex. These are women hand-crafted by God Almighty with purpose and passion; they are women created to enjoy sex within a covenant of marriage with one God-fearing and God-loving man. To look at any man, woman, child, or self differently than how the Father sees us is to miss the revelation of our identity.
This giant known as sex trafficking is happening everywhere, not just in Recife, Brazil. It's happening in Springfield, MO…it's happening globally. When you think of this giant, I hope you do not lose heart, or the perspective that each woman comprises the giant. There are giants everywhere that God has called us to come against, but we don't do it in our strength. This is my current workplace, and you have a workplace in which God has called you to bring the light of the Gospel to. I encourage you with David's words to Goliath, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel..." The truth is that our Father in Heaven is LARGE, personal, relevant, zealous with love for each of us, ridiculously passionate to see every person become liberated.. and He's absolutely in the business of slaying giants.
