Last night we reached over 100 women currently working in the sex-industry in OKC. It was a ball! This month, the team collected journals from Victory and the women of Henderson Hills. Many of them were full of scripture and some carried a personal hand-written note. It turned out to be a very appropriate gift for a few and received with much gratitude by almost all. Stick with me...
Let me explain the few. We learned that several women at different clubs are expecting! Yes, God has chosen to breathe life into these miracles of His glory growing in them and we cannot be more excited to share in this. The conversation between two of the dancers went like this, “oh wow, this journal will be perfect to document your stages!” Why yes it will, God, thank you! Then onto another club where placing the gift gave us those precious moments (ok, that’s funny) needed to interact with another expecting mom. As we talked about how her month had gone since we had seen her last, she patted her tummy and shared with us her great news!! I skipped across the club…well, not to embarrass the entire body, it was more of a redeeming skiplike-dance, but joy sure made its way out of me. Oh, the sweet freedom of Christ. WE, Lord…we get to be a part of this. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
(James) 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Now for the almost. The onset of the evening granted us with a great statement and opportunity. So here we are walking into a club on our first year anniversary of this particular establishment and the very first words spoken were, “OH NO (emphasis on the dread), they’re not from a church are they?” What a bold and completely honest moment she was having. A magnanimous laugh echoes inside my mind every time the reel plays. Maybe because I can relate to her in that there was certainly heavenly rain sprinkled on my party-parade once or twice as I tried to run from Him. Or maybe it’s because she’s had a bad experience with a few well-intentioned Brothers and Sisters. Or maybe it’s that God has been ripening her on the branch and she’s becoming more and more plump and out rolled the statement! Maybe He’s teaching her to listen to His voice…the ONLY voice of salvation. He alone is the one that beckons her and we just showed up with a journal of which others chose to bless us with. Well, one of our team answered with what I thought was the sweetest most pure answer…”Yes, we go to church, but that’s not why we’re here!” Oh the LOVE!! Right before our eyes, God melted a heart. Thank you, Father. You are the redeemer and convictor. And You’re really good at it too! His turn around time leaves us all in amazement at times, does it not? Within minutes she was perched right back up on her branch, ready again to trust what she does not fully know. That is what we call FAITH. Where does blind faith lead? I’ll let you answer that.
So here is the finale. Many women are flirting with the idea, but this very night marked the first time that one of the ladies has gone as far as offering her address to us with a specific time to pick her up for church!! On the count of three 1.2.3….collective WOOT WOOT! Since many of you aren’t along on the outreaches, but nonetheless very involved, let me remind that we don’t come in with an agenda and certainly we aren’t asking anyone we meet to let us pick them up for church. This was personal between her and God. They came up with this, not us.
We just love this woman. Christ is all over her and we learn so much from her. She even offered to share her food! She talked about how she just needs to make a decision that “even though she might have to miss work, she will!” I don’t really know what she’s talking about, maybe women do dance on Sunday mornings while we’re sitting in our pews. Not that pews or chairs or even grass for that matter is not the place we have been called to be as we corporately gather at whatever time that is; but it is just strange to think of the evil world swirling around us while we do. The accuser of man once said, “the show must go on.”
Ok, I digress for the sake of this letter not turning into a scroll…I do know this, as she sat there having a conversation with God, He brilliantly painted a picture of His son’s steps on earth for us! We were silent witnesses as she wrestled with Him. It was one of the most beautiful things to behold. As she looked off into space, she spoke about how she cares for her roommate who is wheel-chair bound; she was very detailed and rightly graphic in her description. She changes his bucket, feeds him, and bathes him all the while listening to others tell her not to be so trusting or loving (as she points to friends and patrons). Do you see what I see? She cares for the lowly, gives him a cold drink of water and washes his feet. She has the heart of God, she just doesn’t quite know from where it came. It was almost like she was perplexed at why she was so full of love, but rejected nonetheless. She has a fire and perseverance like Christ and shares in His humility too.
It is one thing to be an active participant in a conversation here on earth, of which we are called to have, Him having given us mouths and all, but with serious warnings to boot. It is an entirely different experience to watch Him have a conversation with someone else. We walked out of the club and said, “Is Jesus not all over her?” And everyone nodded their heads in stunned silence.
(James) 25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
The evening in shorthand.
(Scene 1) OH NO, the church aliens!
(Scene 2) The church aliens are here!
luvluv...the party starts and ends in Christ,
d-lighted to say the least
