who could redeem this?

Sometimes we lose sight of hope.  What we feel, what we see, what we hear - from within and without - points only to despair. The eyes of our hearts grow dim and the confusing doubt diminishes all light.  Abuse, violence, violation, sabotage, evil - all adds up, and who could ever right these wrongs?

The trap of darkness, the scheme - it is to envelop us into the lie that no one ever could do that.  But - the truth of light, the reality of what IS - there is an I AM who can.

This week I received a package I'd been scouring the mailbox for during the past weeks.  A thick envelope from an organization called Women at Risk (WAR), International. And within the package came real stories that testify of His power. No greater miracle I know than when He changes a human heart.  And when I read about Ipo, I remembered it again. God redeems what no one could fathom. Ipo's parents were also her traffickers, and how can a child know real love when those who gave her life proceeded to steal it back by selling her virginity and innocence?  All of my developmental education screams "There is no way a child can recover and know love after suffering that.  No attachment security. No trust of one's environment. No confidence for identity formation. She's doomed!"  I'm entirely relieved for the rest of the page ... 

Ipo came to a WAR, Int'l. safehouse and found God's love there. She suffered a miscarriage, but received safe treatment and is in school to become a beautician. I read that part and pray somehow God will show her the meaning of true beauty at His school too.  Ipo has hope for a new life, and I know - oh how I now know - only God can redeem her from that to this.  To His. 

The prayer devotional booklet gives prompts for how to pray for Ipo - for her peace and strength in Christ, for healing from the devastating loss of a child, and for her to finish her training and new life skills.  They give me a Scripture to pray over her:

He heals the brokenhearted

    and bandages their wounds. 

         -Psalm 147:3 (NLT)

And in so praying, asking Him to restore and redeem her hope, isn't my hope redeemed too?  

And if He can take her from doomed to destined, why should I think anything I'm facing should be different? And that hope - the hope I see as I read, words becoming soul-warming light - that hope is what I apply as I pray - not only for Ipo, but for all this trouble around.  Can you see it? 

If you've been diving into the reality of Human Trafficking here in my nest with me, you know that I've learned it must end. And we begin to end it when we begin to pray. Not that prayer is all we will do, but prayer is also where we will finish. Our fight for the end of this begins in our asking the One who can put a stop to the horror by redeeming the hopeless to HOPE.   

You can get a prayer kit too - here.  It's beautiful hope sealed in an envelope. Hope that applies because the Source is boundless.  He transcends paper, screens, words, and flesh, and He reaches to the place no other can - to the heart. And He does this in response to prayer.

"The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with." - James 5:16b (Msg)

I want you to pray with me. With the army of prayer warriors and freedom fighters who are standing up to the injustice against the vulnerable children and women like Ipo.  Please contact me if you are interested in fighting too. It begins to end when we begin to pray.

Leave a comment below or email me: robynleelangdon@gmail.com.

God, today we ask You once again to be our Redeemer.  We've realized that only You, only the Divine, can take the darkness and make it the light.  And when You do - You get what You've wanted from the beginning - glory.  We praise You today for rescuing and restoring Ipo, and so many others. We know You will have to be in this to end this, or it won't end at all.  It's You we ask, with You we plead, to You alone we come. Strengthen us, Oh God, for Your work and Your purposes. Show us how to pray, and go and give and restore. Give us the great honor and privilege to be Your hands and feet. Please guide every victim's precious, unique heart and soul to Your redeeming love. Guide her hopeless life to You. You are hope. You are able. You are worthy.