Eyes Wide Open

My heart feels heavy tonight for all the brokenness in our world, in my city. I went to a benefit tonight. A benefit to raise money for Restore. an organization that provides services for internationally sex-trafficked women in NYC. It was a phenomenal event of Broadway stars who donated their time and talent to perform for this event. Most theatres are "dark" on Monday which allowed these performers to be here tonight. We saw talent from Les Mis, The Little Mermaid, Hair, Billy Elliot, Beauty and the Beast, and several others. It was so fun to experience these amazing performances, but when the presentation begin on the real reason we were there, my eyes welled up with tears. The executive Director began the presentation by talking about the many choices that we have everyday. I choose what time I will wake up, what I will eat that day, who I will spend my time with and so on. Women who are trafficked in to this industry do not have choices. They are told when to wake up, what to eat, what to wear, how many men will have sex with them that day, and so on. They are slaves. My heart breaks for them.

Did you know that there are over 27 million slaves in this world? Did you know that the Sex Trafficking industry has brought in more money that Google, Starbucks, and Nike COMBINED? Did you know that it is one of the fastest growing social justice issues in our country? As I heard more about this terrible issue, my heart felt heavy. Just this morning as I prayed on the way to work I talked to the Lord about how broken I feel, about how broken people around me are. We live in a fallen world. A world that is full of nasty, awful sin. We live in this sin because we are sinful. I just feel overwhelmed in my sin. I feel overwhelmed in how undeserving I am of the good news of Christ, yet so incredibly needy for it. And then tonight I was reminded again of this brokenness. I knew Sex trafficking was an issue, but it just one of those things that is easy to slide under the table and honestly not care to much about. After tonight my viewpoint has changed. My heart hurts for men, women, and children who are slaves to prostitution. My heart hurts for the sin in this world and complete depravity that is around me everyday. Personally, I want to help. I would love to give my time to the ones who do escape as they come out unimaginably physically, mentally, emotionally wounded. I do want to pray about that, but more importantly I want to pray for this industry. That it would be brought down and crumble. I want to pray for this organization specifically, but also that more organizations would begin in other cities in our world. I often have this mentality that I want to save the world, I want to help. But then I get overwhelmed because I don't know how to always do that. But one thing I did come away with from tonight was being so thankful that I live in this city. I live in a city where brokenness is (as it is everywhere) on every corner, on every subway and I have the opportunity to look at my life here as not see what I can take from this city, but what I can give. How can I serve this city? How can I be a light in a very dark place? How can I share the good news that there is a Savior who has promised to one day wipe away every tear, that there is HOPE beyond this day? I loved the performance tonight, I loved being there, but mostly I am really thankful that I have been enlightened on this issue in our world.

Please check out www.restorenyc.org to find out more about this organization

You can also learn more about the issue of sex trafficking and prostitution at:

www.ijm.org

www.polarisproject.org

www.notforsalecampaign.org

"The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, in the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion. to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes. the oil of gladness instead of mourning. the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified." Isaiah 61:1