It was hot and the food line at the motel was shorter tonight. Most people waited in their rooms for us to deliver their meals. We broke into groups and spread out across the motel, arms loaded with white containers holding the only meal some of these families will eat all day...a hot dog, baked beans, a slice of cake, a packet of ketchup, and a spoon.
Because some of them do not own a spoon.
My group visited with the motel residents in our section and went back to the parking lot until Candy, the director of the ministry, returned with her group. They had been gone for quite a long time when I saw Sara pull up in her van, papers in hand. I knew what those papers meant.
Someone was relinquishing a child.
Several long minutes later there was Candy walking toward us, her face set with determination and purpose with a little boy on her hip and his older brother and sister following. My heart broke when I saw the scared expressions on the faces of the children. When they walked near to me I bent down to the little boy and he literally leapt into my arms and held on tight.
Tight.
Arms and legs wrapped around me and he buried his sweet head in my neck as if he wished I could enfold him and make him disappear.
Tears rushed to my eyes and I forced them back, swallowing the lump in my throat. I held this little angel tight and prayed over him as Candy and I walked back to the motel room where his mother sat in a daze. There was another child, the oldest, talking to one of the other volunteers. Four children under the age of seven living in indescribable poverty, their mama broken and hopeless and selling her body for twenty dollars to survive. Four children in desperate need of a bath and attention and Jesus.
The little boy I held is five years old. He held on to me for a solid hour. I sat down on the concrete and rocked him back and forth while his three year old sister showed me her Barbie car and we pretended we were going to get donuts with sprinkles. All this time their mama was signing papers, looking at us with sad eyes. Empty eyes.
Oh, Jesus.
I whispered to the little boy, asking his name. Then I said to him, "Can I tell you something?" He looked up at me with beautiful sky-blue eyes. Eyes filled with confusion and fear.
"You are gonna be ok. Do you know why?"
He slowly shook his head.
"Because Jesus. Loves. You."
His eyes suddenly found their spark and he looked at me hopefully. I noticed the freckles dotting his nose.
"Do you know who Jesus is?" I said softly. He nodded.
"Good, because He loves you so much and He will always be with you. You will never be alone, ok? Jesus loves you." He nodded again and rested his head back on my chest, relaxing. I waited a few minutes and then asked again.
"Do you remember what I told you?" Because I need to be sure this little boy knows this. He looked at me, confused again.
"Who loves you, sweetheart?"
His face lit up again and he grinned wide as he said that name that is above every name. The name at which every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
"Jesus."
Yes, Lord.
Another volunteer held his two year old brother and we kept the kids busy while Candy and her team ministered to their mother. She walked out to the car to get something and the little girl pointed to her, telling me proudly that she is her mommy. Finally, he got up from my lap and went into the filthy room to find a toy. He began to smile and play and his little sister and I continued our make-believe game.
"Do you girls want to go get a hamburger?" I asked her Barbies. She gasped with delight, "Oh yes!"
"With cheese and pickles and ketchup...and french fries!" I said.
"Ooh, I love french fries!" she giggled.
Finally the time came for the children to leave. Their mother kissed them and the two year old boy began to cry. I helped Sara buckle them into their car seats and he began to wail. "I want my mommy," he begged. I kissed his sweaty forehead and prayed for...I don't even know. I just prayed. These babies, they love their mama. Their broken, hopeless, used up mama. Oh, Lord. Only you can fix her. Only you.
The children are safe now. While they are away, their mama will have time to think. Will you pray for her? Pray for her to seek help so that she can find hope? Pray for redemption in her life so that she can parent these babies? And will you pray for this ministry...and give...because they are on the front-lines in the battle for the souls of the homeless and hopeless in our city. Lives are being transformed, children are being rescued from neglect, abuse, and the sex trafficking trade.
Because you may not want to believe this if you live where I do, but our city is a hub for sex trafficking. No matter where you live, look it up. You will be shocked. Evil is running rampant and our children are at risk. Get. Involved. Be willing to help however God calls you. The need is truly desperate.
If you live in my area and would like information about how you can get involved, please email me at thatsmymom@gmail.com. I will be so happy to connect you with this ministry.
Because some of them do not own a spoon.
My group visited with the motel residents in our section and went back to the parking lot until Candy, the director of the ministry, returned with her group. They had been gone for quite a long time when I saw Sara pull up in her van, papers in hand. I knew what those papers meant.
Someone was relinquishing a child.
Several long minutes later there was Candy walking toward us, her face set with determination and purpose with a little boy on her hip and his older brother and sister following. My heart broke when I saw the scared expressions on the faces of the children. When they walked near to me I bent down to the little boy and he literally leapt into my arms and held on tight.
Tight.
Arms and legs wrapped around me and he buried his sweet head in my neck as if he wished I could enfold him and make him disappear.
Tears rushed to my eyes and I forced them back, swallowing the lump in my throat. I held this little angel tight and prayed over him as Candy and I walked back to the motel room where his mother sat in a daze. There was another child, the oldest, talking to one of the other volunteers. Four children under the age of seven living in indescribable poverty, their mama broken and hopeless and selling her body for twenty dollars to survive. Four children in desperate need of a bath and attention and Jesus.
The little boy I held is five years old. He held on to me for a solid hour. I sat down on the concrete and rocked him back and forth while his three year old sister showed me her Barbie car and we pretended we were going to get donuts with sprinkles. All this time their mama was signing papers, looking at us with sad eyes. Empty eyes.
Oh, Jesus.
I whispered to the little boy, asking his name. Then I said to him, "Can I tell you something?" He looked up at me with beautiful sky-blue eyes. Eyes filled with confusion and fear.
"You are gonna be ok. Do you know why?"
He slowly shook his head.
"Because Jesus. Loves. You."
His eyes suddenly found their spark and he looked at me hopefully. I noticed the freckles dotting his nose.
"Do you know who Jesus is?" I said softly. He nodded.
"Good, because He loves you so much and He will always be with you. You will never be alone, ok? Jesus loves you." He nodded again and rested his head back on my chest, relaxing. I waited a few minutes and then asked again.
"Do you remember what I told you?" Because I need to be sure this little boy knows this. He looked at me, confused again.
"Who loves you, sweetheart?"
His face lit up again and he grinned wide as he said that name that is above every name. The name at which every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
"Jesus."
Yes, Lord.
Another volunteer held his two year old brother and we kept the kids busy while Candy and her team ministered to their mother. She walked out to the car to get something and the little girl pointed to her, telling me proudly that she is her mommy. Finally, he got up from my lap and went into the filthy room to find a toy. He began to smile and play and his little sister and I continued our make-believe game.
"Do you girls want to go get a hamburger?" I asked her Barbies. She gasped with delight, "Oh yes!"
"With cheese and pickles and ketchup...and french fries!" I said.
"Ooh, I love french fries!" she giggled.
Finally the time came for the children to leave. Their mother kissed them and the two year old boy began to cry. I helped Sara buckle them into their car seats and he began to wail. "I want my mommy," he begged. I kissed his sweaty forehead and prayed for...I don't even know. I just prayed. These babies, they love their mama. Their broken, hopeless, used up mama. Oh, Lord. Only you can fix her. Only you.
The children are safe now. While they are away, their mama will have time to think. Will you pray for her? Pray for her to seek help so that she can find hope? Pray for redemption in her life so that she can parent these babies? And will you pray for this ministry...and give...because they are on the front-lines in the battle for the souls of the homeless and hopeless in our city. Lives are being transformed, children are being rescued from neglect, abuse, and the sex trafficking trade.
Because you may not want to believe this if you live where I do, but our city is a hub for sex trafficking. No matter where you live, look it up. You will be shocked. Evil is running rampant and our children are at risk. Get. Involved. Be willing to help however God calls you. The need is truly desperate.
If you live in my area and would like information about how you can get involved, please email me at thatsmymom@gmail.com. I will be so happy to connect you with this ministry.
This is heart wrenching. My brother and sister-in-love are in the process of adopting through Loving Alternative's Loving Houston which is also working with mamas that are in the sex trade and living off the street. I know that others are rising up and enfolding the children in their arms just like you did and speaking value over them. "Jesus loves you" are life giving words. How beautiful that God has placed you there that day.
ReplyDeletePraying for that mother today.