Proverbs 18:24 says: A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Two years ago when God gave me the opportunity to share at my home church about the issue of child sex slavery and our response as followers of Jesus Christ, there in the audience was a husband of two young girls. Subsequent to that sharing, he contacted me and sent me a hand written letter in the mail a week later. God had used my sharing to speak into LD’s heart about the plight of these girls and moreover, he felt led by the Lord to commit to praying for me on a daily basis.
Fast forward two years later and the letters continue to come….some handwritten, some by email but this dear brother has become one of my special armour bearers. He is a man who walks with such humility and servant hood, who seeks not the limelight and prefers to serve behind the scenes. Whenever he speaks, I listen…it reminds me of that T.V commercial ‘when E.F Hutton speaks, everyone listens.’ LD is a man who seeks God and who has been such a tremendous encouragement to me. He has taken the time to write words of encouragement to each of us who are part of the core group that was formed two years ago. He is a man who takes his role seriously as an armour bearer and one who speaks with much wisdom. When we were brainstorming as a group about the title of last September’s conference it was him who gave us the title ‘Slaying The Giant’.
He is a man who quietly and wholeheartedly serves in a steadfast way and who’s wise counsel has served to affirm, encourage and strengthen me when I am feeling weak, tired or weary. Indeed he is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. In his role to stand in the gap and intercede, he and his family have experienced spiritual attacks. I am grateful and thankful to God for people like LD. He is not intimidated by the enemy’s attempts to derail or discourage us but rather he is an example of one who presses on despite the obstacles. The Lord has surrounded me with some amazing intercessors who are all female but to have a male in our group who takes his role seriously and who takes the time to send me words of encouragement is something that humbles me. Some times I do not feel worthy of such blessings but I realize that the Lord longs to give us His best. In this cause against injustice, He certainly has provided beyond what I could ever ask or imagine. He has surrounded me with others who spur me on but who themselves reflect His heart by the way they encourage and challenge us to live fully for Him.
Recently LD sent me two quotes. Each of them reminding me of different aspects of God’s character. One was from Mark Buchanan’s book The Rest of God which really touched my heart as I thought of our little sisters in Cambodia. "Her past was beyond repair, if there was any good thing there to salvage I knew not how. But God showed me she had her future. And it was vast, unbroken, pristine, radiant. It was pure promise: a Glory that would be revealed in her, a Glory that outweighed her present troubles, the Glory of the One who was coming to redeem her and transform her. Her past was a tragedy to lament. But her future was an epic to anticipate; which is simply to say: What will happen matters more than what has happened." This is the vision of Isaiah 61:1-3 that I believe is God’s vision for these little ones. Indeed each and every child who has or was subject to such trauma in their lives may come to that realization that the future before them is one in which God wants to write a new story filled with new hope.
The second quote that LD shared was from Matthew 1. He writes: ‘I have always been fascinated by the recording of Jesus`s family tree. What has always struck me is that there are only 5 woman mentioned. They are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. Some were prostitutes, one was an adulterer, one was a widow from a despised race. But God choose these women to be the bloodline of Jesus. This reinforced how special of a place that God must have in his heart for the girls in forced prostitution. As the women in the Bible, some had choices and made poor decisions. But God showed the incredible Grace by having their names recorded in his Book. How much more Grace is He willing to shower upon the little girls all over the world who are in prostitution through no fault of their own.
Thank you Lord for reminding me that your arm is not too short to save. You who are the Hope of the nations is mighty to save and deliver. Thank you for the privilege you give to us to partner with you and with each other to build your kingdom and to shine your light in the most darkest corners of the world. Let it be that we will continue to be the Your voice for the voiceless.
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