Redemption

Isn’t it fascinating that some of the most unique structures are from natural disasters? Like how a sinkhole in Detroit turned into an urban fishing hole, or the many mountains in California that were formed from earthquakes. And how some of the most world renown writers began writing to express pain from terrible situations like Maya Angelou. Even after horrible storms; there is always this colorful semicircle that shoots across the sky. After every single storm, something beautiful comes. 

Last week, our speaker was Troy Sherman and he taught us about God’s heart for justice. Most of the time when we think about justice for trafficked victims we just think about rescuing them and that’s it, but God wants more.  Justice 180 wants more. We want those being exploited to experience a 180 degree transformation, a complete turn around for a beautiful life. Each of us have something to offer them that could show them that life is beautiful, even after a lifetime of darkness. That is why God gives us each gifts and talents. He blesses us with them to show us His loving character and to bring us joy. He makes all of us so unique just to remind us daily that He knows us personally and wants, even more, to be personal. Amazing, right? So I had been wondering, what about me? What great quality did I have to help these victims around the world. I couldn’t name one before I came other than knowing that God loves everyone but then it hit me in the middle of Troy’s teaching. I have dance.

I’ve been a dancing since I was three years old but I never actually believed I could use it to end Human Trafficking or bring God‘s light and glory into the dark places stricken with slavery and poverty. So I started reading stories of how girls my age would meet with a manager or company that promised them success for dancing or singing but they would soon be abused and trafficked into prostituion. That broke my heart. So I’ve been pondering, would these girls hate the talent they had been given since someone used it to abuse them? That’s when it hit me, I CAN use dance to bring light into darkness. Just as God gave me a passion and love for dance, I can help them regain their’s. I can remind them that the gifts and talents they have are still wonderful and can be redeemed. Dance is such a powerful way to tell a story without even speaking and there are no language barriers which makes it understandable between many nations. Isn’t that awesome? A way to use past darkness and shame and turn it into redemption and something beautiful while glorifying God. And it can be understood by so many people; worldwide sorrows turned into joy and dancing. That's a victory!

So when I think of the girls we meet on the street like, “A” (we wrote about her last week) or even the girls we haven’t met, I wonder what their redemption will look like and how I can help. I am so hopeful to see their lives changed and their gifts redeemed for good. When one smiles at us after they receive a gift bag, even that is redemption in itself. What an awesome job is it to go give back life where it has been taken away. Just when I thought I was going to let something that I loved waste away, God had a plan for it just as He has a plan for every one suffering or feeling broken, wondering if they will waste away in darkness. The only way to drive out darkness is with light. That’s the light that each of us have within from God’s love and grace. His plan is for us to help save lives with the gifts, talents, and knowledge that He gave us. His plan is REDEMPTION around the world. 

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20)."


If you are interested in doing a Discipleship Training School and using your gifts, passions and abilities to take action in this issue, click here.