Same Kind of Human - [1]
Today I learned
a new term, it is “Survival Sex”. Many
people believe that prostitution is a choice.
That cannot be further from the truth.
Prostitution is the result of lack
of choice and it exist amongst the most marginalized, vulnerable and
defenseless. [2]
It is time
we changed the way our society looks at prostitution. Christine McDonald, in her book “The Same
Kind of Human” challenges us to look beyond our preconceptions and consider the
human behind the circumstances of need.
She challenges us to see them as God see’s them, with love and
compassion and understanding and then to help them, recognizing that they are
human like us. [3]
I recently got the privilege of
meeting the Founder and Executive Director of Rended Heart, a ministry that
exist to set individuals free from sexual exploitation and prostitution and to
see the broken-hearted healed, and their lives restored. They do this by
seeking to provide immediate short-term accommodations, resources, and
services, for preparing the sexually exploited individual for entry into a
long-term restoration or reintegration program.[4]
I was also privileged enough to be
invited to go along on meet up with 2 woman who are currently being victimized
in the Sex Trafficking industry. We met
these women with the intent of providing them with information and hope for a
way out. We were able to give them a “goody
bag”, we listened to their story and we prayed with them. Our hope is that they will get back in touch
with Denise (Executive Director, Rended Heart) and seek the help she can
provide.
I would like to share a little bit
about my experience and tell you a little bit about these precious girls that I
met.
The first girl was a mom, and has 4
boys. Although she does not have them
right now I could still see her mother’s heart when she spoke about them. She shared that she loves decorating, soft
blankets and those big pillows with words on them. This woman is not in this situation by
choice, when Denise offered her a potential job lead, she tearfully said that she
would want to do anything but “this”. Unfortunately,
it is not that easy for her to walk away, her pimp was nearby and watching her,
and the bondage she is in is very real.
In the days after meeting this woman I
was struck with two things, first, we are both moms of boys and second we both
love decorating, soft blankets and pillows with words on them. In the weeks
after meeting her I also felt led to pray a “mother’s Prayer” for her boys, to stand
in the gap for her and pray for those boys as I pray for my own boys. I prayed for their provision, I prayed for
their education, I prayed for their future. She is the same kind of human as me.
The second girl was a 24-year-old, beautiful
soul who knows and love the Lord. She has
been trafficked a lot, been traded often in the industry and moved thru out the
United States. Her story was a little
bit harder for me to understand, but I could sense that the bondage she was in
was very strong and very dark. We were
able to pray for her and offer her information on programs that would be
available to her. She shared that she
would be spending time over the holidays with family and that she loved
scrapbooking. Once again, we have many
things in common. We both love the Lord,
we both value family and we both love scrapbooking. She is the same kind of human as me.
It
would be an understatement to say that this experience changed me, moved my
heart and opened a new appreciation for those who do ministry at this level.
Today is Human Trafficking Awareness
Day and January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Preventing Month.
If you would like a place to donate
and help in the efforts we are making here in Kansas City, please visit my
friends at Rended Heart where you can learn more about their mission, sign up
to volunteer or make a donation.
[2]
Exodus Cry Website – www.exoduscry.com
[3]
The Same Kind of Human by Christine “Clarity” McDonald
[4]
Rended Heart Website – www.rendedheart.org
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