As you may know, today was Day One of my very first Save the Girls Yard Sale. The purpose: To help rescue and care for child sex slaves by raising awareness and funds.
The nagging question: Can a girl or young woman with a difficult past — a prostitute, a heroin addict, porn “star,” or child sex slave — find redemption? Ever?
As a friend asked, Can she ever find wholeness?
Her pain. So deep. Fissures of the soul, to the core of the earth.
Can she get over it?
The easy answer: Yes. Of course. Christ can do anything. He is the Redeemer.
The tough answer: God uses the path of suffering to grow us up to be more like Jesus.
I DO NOT LIKE THIS ANYMORE THAN YOU DO.
I DON’T DO SUFFERING WELL.
One Scripture that speaks to the suffering-then-glory truth is 1 Peter 1:6. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” Super-bad trials. Worse than not making rent. More like the suffering endured by those violated in the deepest way.
Can God redeem the past?
I must believe the impossible.
If I don’t believe that God can do what he says he can do, then Save the Girls: A Ministry of Message, Rescue and Care would be a complete waste.
Here are a few photos from Day One:
Ashley checks out the stuff. Twenty percent of money made from the sale goes to Christian organizations that rescue sex slaves, some as young as 6 years old.
Mary with her daughters Emily and Elizabeth say the tee shirts are "awesome." The logo was drawn by nationally acclaimed artist Lynn Parker.
Alex slurps lemonade made my neighborhood boys and sold for 25 cents a cup. The boys donated some of their quarters to the ministry. You go, guys!
