Ever since my novels about international human trafficking and missions came out, I have been privileged to speak about trafficking on radio, at events, and even once on TV. When people hear about trafficking, particularly that it is here in the United States, so much closer than they’d imagined, I’ve noticed they tend to respond in one of two ways. Some want to hide from it, run away, pretend it is not there. Others attack it, determined to snuff out the problem forever. “We must end human trafficking”—a motivating sentiment, yes, but not a realistic one.
The first approach always fails to help the problem, but the second approach can fail as well. We Americans are doers. We see a problem; we fix it. There’s a need? Fill it. These cultural instincts that our society thrives on, however, sometimes lead to a sprinting start that is sure to burn quickly into exhaustion, discouragement, and defeat.
The unwanted truth is that sometimes there is nothing we can do to fix the problem. And unfortunately, it is at that stage that we remember to pray. When we can do nothing and only God can come through.
Shouldn’t we be doing that first?
I was reminded of this when I heard about Sweetie from Women At Risk International (www.warinternational.org). Sweetie is a beautiful toddler who has lived most of her little life tied to a pole in the red-light district in India. Her teenage mother, “owned” by a trafficking Madam, has no choices when it comes to her daughter’s future. The Madam does not want people to touch or hold Sweetie so she will grow up not knowing what love is . . . so she will make a good prostitute when she grows up.
The Indian believers who minister in this district are powerless to help Sweetie. They know of a Christian Indian family who would love to adopt Sweetie and raise her with love, but the Madam refuses to let her go, unbelievably, because she does not want the child raised a Christian.
Everyone who cares about Sweetie is helpless. Nothing can be done to deliver this precious child growing up in the midst of unspeakable evil.
It is hard to accept that. To admit that we cannot come up with a solution that fixes the problem. We cannot make it go away.
Yet when we do, we drop to our knees and plead with the God of the universe for His divine intervention.
And when He comes through (not if, but when), He will get the glory, as all of us who have prayed for her for so long see His beautiful deliverance.
I imagine it is these very situations that God uses to remind us of what we should be doing first instead of last—praying. Asking God to intervene even before we do. Then as we do. And after we do. Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). With Him, all things are possible (Luke 1:37).
So will you pray with me for Sweetie? For the others trapped in darkness? For those with no hope of deliverance? God cares, even more than we do. And He is never helpless, never powerless, never without resources.
Let’s pray for Sweetie, and the others, and watch in awe as God works.
Kimberly Rae lived in several countries overseas as a missionary before health problems brought her back to the US, where she now writes and speaks on human trafficking. See her Amazon bestselling novels on human trafficking at www.stolenwoman.org, or follow Kimberly’s blog at www.stolenwoman.blogspot.com.