What Do You Do Once You Know?

January 11th was national Human Trafficking Awareness day.  
I thought that it would be a good day to finally wrap up my trip to Las Vegas.
And it would have been.
But I didn't.
I was thinking about it, and I am simply having a hard time finding the words to sum up the trip.
I know many of you are waiting for me to write about "the thing".  You want to know what I took away from this trip, You want to know what God revealed to me through my experiences, you want to know what I think the core of the trip was about, you want to know what I think I am going to do now.
I do to.
In truth I am struggling with trying to figure out what the purpose of me going on this trip really was. 
I am struggling to figure out what I do now.
Sometimes I'm just struggling with all this knowledge I now have.

I mentioned before that I didn't go looking for this trip.  It was brought to me. 
I didn't go looking for this cause.  It was brought to me.
I didn't want to know what I know now.  
But I do.
So I am struggling to know what God's plan for me and this cause is.
What does he want a rural house wife and home schooling mom to do with people involved in human trafficking?
I have been praying, and was praying the entire time that I was away about this.  I feel like this isn't supposed to be a one time thing.  Once you know, once you've seen the faces of trafficking victims, you can't, you shouldn't, just walk away and pretend it doesn't happen.
You cannot sit at the same table and talk to a mother who has lost a daughter to this predator, and see the pain in her eyes,  and just walk away.  
You can't  break bread with women who have come out of the life and hear their stories of redemption and restoration and just forget.
You can't know that all around the world, possibly probably even in your own town, there are girls who are being forced to service 'johns' into the darkest hours of the night while you sleep safely in the comfort of your own bed, and just walk away.

That would be wrong.
So very wrong.

That would be unjust.
But it is an impossible problem.  
There is no way to stop it.
I mean, if there was no demand for illicit sex, then we could stop it.  If there was no sexual sin in the world then we could put an end to it. 
But that isn't going to happen on this side of heaven.
So here is what I know.  
Here is one thing that I think I have figured out through all of this.
This is what I think I should try and do:
The only way to truly save a life, is to prevent a child/woman/man from becoming a victim of sex trafficking.
Because once a person has been sexually abused, even if they are rescued from the situation, their life has been altered.  They will have painful issues to work through.  There will be   memories to forget and emotions to heal.  They will need to come to the place where they can forgive their abuser.  
They won't be the same as they would have been. 
Even with the gift of God's amazing, wonderful, powerful love, if they choose to accept it, they will have to work through the consequences of their abuse.
Without God's love, I am not sure that there is even much hope of a true healing.
With God's love I know that much is possible.  God is the great physician not just of bodies but of hearts.  I have looked in the eyes of women who have suffered much, who have been battered and abused, both by their own hands and the hands of others.  I have seen in them what God can do with a life that was tattered and torn, wrecked and bleeding, ruined beyond what they thought could be repaired.  
I have seen his redemption in their eyes and it is so sweet.  It is so amazing!  Even thinking of it now brings tears to my eyes!  Oh what God can do with a person who chooses to surrender to his love!
But I would choose, if I could, to spare them the pain they went through.  I feel we owe it to our children to try and keep them safe.  To attempt to protect them from the kind of pain that evil people can inflict on their lives.  
Because that's the truth.  People who traffic and abuse others,  are evil.
So here is what I can do, and you too:  
Get educated.
Spread the word.
Save a life.

It sounds simple and maybe it is.  But it isn't easy.  I haven't enjoyed gaining this knowledge.  Many people will avoid this topic because of the sensitive content or vulgar truth.  Let's face it, there is nothing nice or pretty about trafficking.  It's ugly! But it is time for all of us to stop turning a blind eye to the evil that is happening all around us.  
It's time to stand up for the truth.

How? 
Here are a few simple things:
*Don't act like it wouldn't happen in your town.  It does and is.
*Don't think that all women choose to be prostitutes or porn stars. Many of them didn't. 
*Don't think that the women are in it for the money and they like to do what they are doing - most of them don't.  
Most women are being mentally manipulated by an evil pimp.  
Most women who are prostitutes have been sexually abused as children.  The emotional ramifications of that abuse has made them easier to prey upon as young women. 
*Don't buy sex - not magazines, not movies,not the phone, not the Internet, and not women
*Don't give your kids unlimited access to the Internet
   (the average age of a boys first exposure to pornography is         age 11)
*Don't avoid the hard topics at home.  Talk to your kids. 
*Don't forget to teach your kids how valuable they are in God's eyes.  Teach them how much he loves them!
*Don't forget to tell your kids every day that you love them. Show it with your actions too. 
*Don't think it couldn't happen to your kid/family.  It can happen to anyone.
*Don't avoid being educated on this topic, it is to your benefit to be aware.
*Don't forget to be compassionate to women who are in the sex industry.  They are someones daughter, mother, friend, or sister.  
*Don't forget that God loves them as much as he loves you.  Share his love with them.
*Don't be afraid to share your knowledge with others.  You might just save a life.

I know there is a lot to think about here.
I know that this is an unpleasant subject.
But I believe that together, we can make a difference.
We can save a life.

No, I don't know what God wants me to do - exactly - with all the information I have.  I don't know where he wants me to get involved here at home.  I don't know what it is supposed to look like.
I am going to continue to pray and see what God wants.    
I will look for the opportunities as they come.  
I will do what I can.  
I won't forget.
And God will continue to do his work all throughout the world using people like me.  
Using people like you.  
People who are willing to take up the cross and share the gospel of Christ by loving one person at a time in the name of Jesus.