27

“Twenty-seven million salves. Twenty-seven million slaves.” This is what has been repeating in my head over and over again for the past few nights every time I lay down to sleep. Sleep has become hard for me to find; I can't stop thinking about the millions of girls who are forced into prostitution daily. It's not like I just found out that there are 27 million slaves at this very minute. I've known about this growing problem for a while.  The only difference is now I know I will meet these faces, hold these kids, and play with them. The mere fact that I will indeed see slavery on my Immersion trip brings tears to my eyes. I begin to think about them, many who may be trapped in sex slavery at this moment, scared and alone. They live in very hopeless places. Many have never been told that they are loved. They don’t even see love in action. The thought of Christ’s love for them is as foreign to them as I am to them. I lay there, still in my bed, knowing the love God has for them, and I long to jump on the next plane to tell them of His great love.
In a recent sleepless night God laid the book of Psalms on my heart. I began in chapter 1, then read 2, then read 3. Chapter 3 changed my life.  
Psalm 3 says:
“O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, ‘God will never rescue him!’ 
But you, O Lord are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain. I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.
I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.
Arise, O lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
Victory comes from you, O Lord. May you bless your people.”
 
As I sat reading this, I felt God’s overwhelming love and peace take over. He has never abandoned his beloved; he’s with them every moment of every minute. He with them in the brothels, on the streets, and with them when they are with clients. He has never left them, nor will he ever.
My prayer has quickly changed from wanting sleep, to praying this over the 27 million people today who live in slavery, that they will know that they are not alone.  I pray that at this very moment they will feel the same overwhelming love and peace from Christ Jesus that I have.
 
I lay there in the dark of the safety of my room with tears rolling down my face out of pain for their suffering. I no longer long for sleep, instead I long to be the one to hug these girls and to show with my actions Christ’s love and help be the change I want to see in the world. I begin to thank God for sleepless nights like these, nights where I begin to think about other people over my own self.
 
I’m not just willing to go into the nations this fall, but I want to go. I long to go. My heart is screaming out in reply for God’s calling for my life this fall.
 
Here I am, Lord. I’m ready. Send me!