Buy Her Time

Photo Credit: Anthony Green

You see her on the streets.
Adorned in flecks of gold.
Glance into her eyes,
Her story is untold.
How did she come to be,
A woman selling skin?
In it for the money?
Her heart will never win.
She sleeps alone at night,
Her soul is yearning still,
For life to deal her a hand,
That can fit the bill.
She'll change it all one day.
She's worth more than a dime.
If only He would come,
Come along and buy her time.

There is a prostitution ring near my house. You can't miss it. Women walking around barely wearing anything. Lingering customers scouting the streets for the cops. Each precious life screams a different story. When I first witnessed the exchanges of these women, I was a little taken aback. Why so close to my house? Where are the cops? This is unacceptable!

As the weeks went by, my heart began to break. As I would turn the corner to get onto the highway, I would catch a glimpse of their faces. Daughters, mothers, sisters. Beautiful, bruised and searching. Some were confident, while others were hiding in their barely clothed skin. I wanted to help! If there was a way that I could set them free. Show them their worth! Change everything...although some do not want to change. Some think it's normal, but I know the truth. I want to tell them they are worth so much more than what can be found underneath their clothes, or the "favors" they can do. I want to tell them...no scream to them how beautiful they are. How dearly loved they are. How they can dance again. How they can dream again.

This led me to the thought of buying their time. Would there be a safe way that I could buy their time? Tell the cops and set it up. Come in a different car. Lavish them with blessings and take them out to lunch. We'd chat about life. Chat about their kids...talk about their dreams and hear their stories unfold. No judgement. Just love. Is it feasible? If not, I still wouldn't care, because I know of a Savior that will move heaven and earth to show me His great love- no matter how much of a mess I'm in. Everyone deserves this gift.

Now, I can't drive by these precious ones without being in tears. I can't hold it together anymore. My heart is for them, just like God's heart is for them. It's amazing how things change when you get a glimpse of God's heart for someone else. It's life-changing. I wonder what it would be like if I caught a glimpse of God's heart for me. Would I be more intentional? Love better? Try more instead of giving up? Pass less judgement on others? Maybe.

Know this my friend, God is going to use the prostitutes! Jesus loves redeeming the broken. Don't sleep on these beloved ones, because when His love rushes in, it's like a hurricane. I can't wait to see how He makes a beautiful mess of things... and I will be standing on the front lines when He does.

Join me in being intentional about loving well. Ask God to give you His heart for someone you normally wouldn't think about loving this week.

Be fearless!

-Mel

His Heart, Your heart

I've heard people say that the key to finding your calling, is to discover the thing that moves your heart and run with it. I know that there are many roles that we play, and our passions have a tendency to change depending on what season of life we may be in.

With so many things to be passionate about nowadays, it can be easy to lose sight of who we really are in the flurries of social media and hectic schedules. In the search to discover the true depths of one's calling, elusive results may only be found. Personally, I believe we will ultimately discover what we were made for, when we grasp the passion and heart of God.

I was out running errands today and saw something that struck me so deeply, I was overwhelmingly moved to tears. As I turned the corner near a popular highway that led home,  I saw a teenage girl walking with a friend. I first noticed her because she was dressed a little too provocatively for my liking. I began making a "kids these days" judgement in my head, when something stopped me in my tracks. What struck me was the precious cargo she was carrying in a harness across her body. A sweet little baby, that couldn't have been more than a few weeks old was swaying gently as its mama walked across an abandoned lot to the Seven Eleven.

Immediately my heart broke for her. I began to call out to God, declaring angels to protect them. I wondered if they had everything that they needed. Did she need a car-seat? A stroller? Money? Someone to lean on to learn about being a loving mom? I almost jumped out of the car and I realized that she may very well be doing an excellent job at taking care of the baby... that many of my questions were sparked by the judgement that I created upon viewing what she was wearing. I assumed that her heart and life would be more focused on getting the attention of boys than taking care a child. I had no proof of this. I had envisioned the baby crying alone with no one to console her in the corner of a room. I envisioned all of the children around the world that were without arms to hold them tonight. I was doing a bit too much.

My irrational fears may not have been merited at all. I started to wonder: Did anyone ever teach this young girl to dress? How to be a mother? Did she even have a female figure in her life?

It was then that I was reminded of my calling. I was created to mentor girls. Whatever state they come onto my path, I want them to know that they are loved, strong and beautiful. I want them to know that they can achieve anything. That they were not a mistake. That they will make indelible marks on the world. That no matter what they do, or what they have done, they are so very precious and so dearly loved.

I can't believe I had so badly lost touch of this passion-one that previously drove the vocational endeavors of at least six years of my life. The reality of it all broke my heart. It was then that the Holy Spirit began to speak louder into my ears. He told me that it's okay. That there are seasons for everything and this one would soon be coming back around. He reminded my heart that in choosing this path, not every story will have a happy ending. That on this journey, I will be pressed to erase personal boundaries, stay up late many nights and will need to give the precious lives that I encounter over to God on a daily basis.

I am willing to risk it all to love. It's what I was made for. Maybe this purpose was one reason why God gave me all boys- to keep my desire for daughters always alive in my heart.

Even now, I'm thinking about that girl and her baby. How I want to be there if she needs me or not. This is my passion. This is my calling. It is also the heart of God. To Love with everything that I am-even if it's messy. In the end, lives will be changed. Hearts will be healed. Destinies will come into view and passions will be realized.

What is your calling friend? What is the purpose that is inscribed upon your soul? What moves the heart of God? I encourage you to discover the answer to these questions and run with it. Don't waste any more time chasing the wind...for you too, were made for this:-)

Love,

-Mel