A Call to Arms

She is pretty small. Not all that cute. Her hair is not always neat but her manners are impeccable. The other kids think she is stupid because she doesn't talk. The teachers think she is slow because she doesn't respond in class. She gets frustrated a lot and doesn't finish her work. 

He is only fifteen but already deep into the heart of the gang. Hard rock pours out of his earbuds and into his head constantly. He's failing every class, mostly because he almost never goes to school. The only think keeping him out of Juvy is his old man's money... And connections. 

She is cold. Controlled. Always steady on her feet. No one gets close to her. No one sees behind her walls. She makes good money. Honest money. She's a fighter. She lives inside the perimeters that she has set up for herself. 

He is desperate, broken, shattered, sick in his soul and dying inside. His child is missing. Has been for three weeks now. He fell asleep in the hammock one afternoon while she played in the sand box close to him. When he woke up she was gone. He lives in a decent neighborhood. No one saw anything out of the ordinary... Except that one sleek car, black maybe? Nobody can remember. It wasn't a big deal... Until it was. He has done his research, knows the stats, and will never forgive himself for his carelessness with the most precious thing he's ever been granted by the One he thought loved him the most. 

So what exactly do all of these people have in common? Well a few things for sure. They are all a bit looked down on. The slightly stupid child, the rebellious druggy teen, the cold woman, the irresponsible dad. There is really not a lot about any of them that we want to pity. The child should learn to speak up, have some confidence! You're smart enough after all. The teenager should be taught a lesson! Shape up kid its a tough world and you gotta be a man! The cold woman should learn to live a little, laugh, have some fun, not be so selfish, so driven! And the irresponsible dad? Well he should have known better. Should have watched more closely. After all what kind of dad lets his kid just run off while he sleeps? She probably found her way to the river and drowned after all. 

But what if what they have in common is actually something much much deeper? What if each of them is actually living in a private hell created by the demons that disguise themselves in flesh and prey on the weak and the beautiful of the world? What if each of these people is the living shell of what they could have, would have, should have been. IF they, or their child, had never been touched. Never been seen. Never been desired as no child should be. 

We live in a hurting world. A world where people use abuse and destroy each other on a regular basis. A world where too many children get what they want, as long as they give what is required. Hard stuff? Outside the neat boxes we want to keep our world in? Yes definitely! But truth none the less. 

So what is my point? Well actually I have a few of them. 1) Walk gently, speak gently, and live out the love of the One who DIED to grant freedom to us all. Freedom from our sins, and freedom from the sins of others. 2) Never assume. A bad attitude, a nasty comment, a rude look. Maybe they are having a bad day? Or maybe they are desperately seeking protection in the only way they know. Don't just go with "Oh my goodness that woman was so RUDE did you see what she did to me??" because bottom line, you have the chance to be the face of Jesus to her, regardless of her motives! 3) PRAY!!!!! We are not powerless!!! Anything but!! You think you can't pray if you don't know names or faces?? Think again! You can pray for the salvation of the abusers. Whoever and wherever they may be. You can pray for the healing of the victims. You can pray for the protection of the children. Yours, your family's, your friend's, and those that belong to all the strangers and fellow human beings around the world. "The fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth MUCH."  Hunny let me just tell you, if you are living close to God, if your heart is washed pure by the blood of Jesus Christ, if you are willing to consistently invest time praying for these dear souls or anyone else, you have the power to change the world!! God can and will do the things you ask Him for when it lines up with His will! 

I realize this is a hard subject but I do not apologize. The whispers in my niche are not always pleasant and for that I am grateful! If they were I would never see the needs around me! My challenge to you is to research this, and or any other hard subject that interests you and affects our world. Read some stats. Listen to some testimonials. Allow yourself to be informed. My prayer right this minute is that each of us will feel the burden of this horror and that our eyes will be open to the ways that we can be the sweet gentle hands and eyes of Jesus Christ in the blackness around us.