Stolen Children

It was a chilly weekend in November.  Fall came early in the mountains of this Northwest campground retreat.  The wool coat that I wore kept me warm on the outside, but held little protection from the chill deep inside of me.

Our church had been planning this ladies retreat for some time, but I had not planned to go.  Mentally I checked off the reasons why I couldn’t.  I had no babysitter for my children, and money was tight; money that was desperately needed to help pay the bills.  Even if I could get off work, I didn’t feel right about leaving my employer in a bind; seems they were always shorthanded.  But God had another plan for me, and one by one the barriers were removed so I could attend. 

            As the ladies began to arrive, I had a feeling something significant was about to happen, and sensed that God had ordained this time for me, although I didn’t understand why.  As the service began, we sang choruses of praise to God and a sense of his presence filled out hearts. From the moment the minister got up to speak, my mind was focused on what she had to say - God was there to bring healing to the hearts and minds of women who had been sexually molested as children. 

            Suddenly, I was that child again who had no control over the situation or the molester who invaded my private spaces.  The unbearable shame and hurt paralyzed me, producing an unhealthy fear for my own two little girls, afraid they might suffer the same fate.  In closing, the speaker invited all who wanted to be healed, to be set free, to come forward for prayer.  Somehow, I overcame the fear of what others would think of me, and made my way to the front.  Even though I was surprised at the number of women that went forward, I knew God wanted to do a deep work in my own heart.  I had lived with pain for so long that I questioned whether God could set me free from the memories that taunted me.  But as I poured out my hurt and anger to him, the anointing of the Holy Spirit was active in that room and he began a new work in my heart.        

After the service, we slowly drifted to our cabins, a heaviness still clinging to the chambers of my heart.  Although I sensed God’s presence and knew he was working in my heart, I was so battered and bruised that I felt like a piece of rubbish worthy only for the local dump.  Yet God knew what I needed, and ministry time continued in that little cabin, as several women gathered around me and started praying for a complete healing and restoration.  I poured out my feelings of unworthiness and inadequacies to God. 

            “My daughter, you are like a gem to me,” prophesied one of the ladies who prayed.  This sparked my immediate attention since I loved jewelry, and wore lots of it.

            “You are like a diamond to me, “she went on. 

            Me?  A diamond to God?  A dam burst open inside of me, and the tears that flowed were tears of joy, releasing pent up hurt and anger that had been buried for years.  Peace finally flooded my soul as I realized for the first time what my worth was to God. 

            Now, with my children grown, I look back over those years and see what God did in my life.  He created something beautiful in my heart and added a freedom and richness to my life that I could not have comprehended.  Broken and wounded, God carefully chipped away at this diamond, faceting it in such a unique way that brings glory and honor to him.  It’s not my light that shines, but His, drawing other broken people to his light.   

            I still see the ugliness of sin all around me and the destruction of the lives of young women whose hearts and bodies have been stolen from them and used for the pleasures of men and their selfish gratifications.  My heart aches for them.  Being lonely and naive makes them vulnerable to predators.  They are enticed into this awful cavern with a promise of love or even money, and many are sold into sexual slavery, chained by the forces of evil with no hope of escape.  These young girls are generally between the ages of 11 and 15, and their life expectancy in this environment is only about seven years.  Even little boys are captured and abused.  It is fast becoming one of the largest evil money making schemes in the world, sometimes surpassing drugs. 

            My own church supports a national organization called Traffick911 which educates and trains the community leaders of this insidious evil, and who works with these leaders to set these young girls free, ministering and teaching them about their worth in Christ.

            God didn’t approve of the heinous crimes against these young girls, or against someone like me who was trapped by the evil cravings of a sinful man.  No, he hated the filth of these sins! These children belonged to Him in the first place; but Satan, as an angel of light, stole them with every intention of destroying their lives.  But, as they are snatched from the hand of the enemy and learn about God’s love and forgiveness, they come to understand that Jesus paid the ultimate price for their redemption when he died on the cross for them.  And as they are set free from the bondages of their past, they become beautiful and productive citizens who mature in their walk with the Lord, and eventually reach out to help other damaged and hurting young women.  Even though this world is full of sin, Jesus takes what Satan meant for evil, and cleanses it, turning it into something beautiful to be used for his Kingdom.

            I am no longer a prisoner of hurt and fear, but I have been redeemed by a merciful and loving God who created me in his image.  It is no longer I who lives, but Christ in me.  I now have a passion to see other women set free from chains of darkness and fear.  My prayer is for us, as Christians, to open our eyes to the truth of what Satan is doing all around us.  Sometimes, it is happening in our own neighborhoods, hidden away from the world.  Only by being courageous and willing to seek and fight for these young ones, will we reap the rewards of helping to free the young children who are trapped by the sin and degradation that is lurking there. 

            It’s time for us Christians to take our heads out of the sand; remove the blinders that have kept us naïve about the destruction of Satan and his warriors.  We are in a spiritual battle; a battle of evil threatening the very core of society, the destruction of our families through the abuse of these young children.  Each of these precious children is someone’s child or grandchild, and I believe we owe it to them to help release them from their captivity.  Will we retreat in complacency doing nothing to stem the tide of evil?  Or will we begin an aggressive plan to find and recapture them?  Jesus wants us to be proactive and live out our faith so others can enjoy the freedom in Christ that you and I enjoy.  Jesus, help us by your power and might to seek out and recapture the stolen children.  We know you are waiting with open arms to bring restoration and peace. 

No, God did not plan the tragedy of these stolen children, nor did he allow it for the purpose of future testimonies of God’s grace, although, he can use us if we are willing.  This awful sin is nothing but the work of the enemy of our souls.  But God is our Redeemer fighting for the freedom for which so many long.  What will we do to help?

• For more information, please refer to these sites:
• www.traffick911.com
• www.facekook.com/traffick911.

*  Please note that even if you are limited in what you can do, your donation of money to this organization will be a huge factor in freeing these children.  Even now, as I think of a stack of items that I've been saving for a garage sale, God reminded me that I can donate the proceeds to the Traffick911 ministry.  Jesus noted the widow's mite and said she gave more than all of them.  God will bless our offerings, no matter how small, if we give with a generous heart of love.