This is a real life Good Samaritan story – a story of reaching out to those who don’t have the strength to reach out themselves. It’s heartbreaking and tragic and frequent! It’s human trafficking – modern-day slavery. These girls have been trapped in the sex trade by deceit or sold by a friend or relative; and kept there by pride, fear and/or shame. They don’t see any other options – and having witnessed their circumstances, it’s easy to see how that can be their outlook.
- Join me in praying for Usha and the many other girls like her, who don’t know hope and love and grace and mercy.
- Pray for my friend as she walks the lanes and looks into their eyes – pray that each girl would see Jesus’ love reflected back on them.Â
- Pray for the Light to shine in such a dark place.
— shared with permission from my friend who is living and serving in Kolkata India
Oh what a week….
Some years ago, God showed me a picture of Jesus walking down the lanes of Sonagachi and picking women out of the gutters. These women were broken, abused, fearful and so full of shame. But as he picked them up and breathed life into them (Ezekiel 37 ) they began to breathe and as he tilted their head so that their eyes met his…. the shame & pain fell off as they saw the love and acceptance from Jesus
Yesterday, I tasted this picture come into being….
Last week, Alice and I had sat on Rena’s bed for over an hour, chatting, drinking tea, laughing and praying… it was glorious. Her friend also sat with us. Usha is only 30 but looks years older, she is a grandmother. The past 4 years since her husband died have been so harsh for her. As I held her hand she wept, for all that she has lost and the pain she lives in daily. My heart broke….
We arranged to meet Rena and Usha yesterday to cook lunch together in our house in Sonagachi. It wasnt to be, although we met Rena and had tea with her and chatted and prayed. Usha she told us was ‘out working’
Later in the afternoon. Alice and I were walking back home on the main road. We were struck by a horribly painful sight of a women, baring half her chest sitting in the drains and sobbing inconsolably as people just stared. We stopped and looked at each other….. Lord what do we do?
We knelt before this women and I tried to ask her whats wrong, how could we help her? She looked at me and through tears and sobs, she said in bangla, ‘its me Usha, we had tea together…..’ Oh the pain.
And as the crowd grew watching these 2 white westerners talking to a broken sobbing woman on the street, we encouraged her to come back to our house in Sonagachi for a shower and food and a place we could talk in private. The jeering, stares and mocking as we walked with her holding her sari in place to save any more humiliation. She showered and as I sat with her she looked into my eyes , such wildness and such pain. And my unspoken prayer being, ‘Lord, let her see you as she looks into my eyes, let her see your love and compassion, let her know that you are for her and not against her and you will never leave her…..’ Sadly as I went to get food for her she fled.
Prayer for Usha
- â—¦ She will experience Jesus and his love and mercy and grace for her
- â—¦ She wants freedom from sex trade. Wonderfully, there is a job for her in Freeset should she want it. Please pray for her to catch a hold of the hand that is being offered and run with it.
- â—¦ Like so many of the women, Usha tries to push away the pain through alcohol abuse, please pray that this wont be what prevents her from seeking Freedom for herself
- â—¦ Please pray for my relationship with her as we walk together in these coming days/weeks/months/years…..
2 pings