Ransomed
By Joy Hurlow

The first National Human Trafficking Day took place January 11, 2008 and our church sponsored an information meeting. I attended because child prostitution, forced labor, and sex trafficking were issues that I was already aware of, but I had no idea the extent of how much my thoughts would be changed and my heart would be broken in one short three hour period of time.

The evening began with some graphic presentations on the basic facts and statistics about human trafficking. But all the charts, numbers and pictures faded into the background when a woman stood up and told us her personal encounter with human trafficking. At the age of 15 this woman started dating a boy from her high school and by the time she was 16 she had their first baby. Throughout the relationship this girl became more and more brainwashed by her boyfriend. They frequently fought about how tight money was. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, he persuaded her to move into a shelter to get financial assistance to raise their little girl. One day he convinced her that he knew how she could provide for her daughter and before she knew what was happening, her boyfriend became her pimp. The words this woman shared were startling, “I did not think of myself as a prostitute, I just knew I was worthless.”

It was at that very moment that it hit me; we are just not that different. And by “we” I do not just mean the two of us, I mean “we” as in all people. Although every person has a different story, the results of brokenness and pain often come with similar feelings and emotions. While society has labels for people in almost every situation, as individuals we do not see ourselves in the categories set up by society. We do have labels for ourselves, but they often come from our feelings rather than judgmental attitudes or preconceived ideas.

My heart broke for this woman; she has felt isolated and rejected for the majority of her life. The bondage that she lives with is evident in so many ways. And yet, I could not stop thinking about the bondage that every person encounters. I thought about bondage in my own life; and I just kept feeling like we are not that different. Although I have not been in a physically abusive relationship that seems impossible to escape; I do know what it is like to feel trapped and wonder if I will ever change.

I have been a perfectionist in almost every area of my life my entire life. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be “perfect” many times leaving little to no room for God to work through me and control my life. While I have loved God and had a relationship with Him since I was a young girl; I face the need to completely surrender to Him over and over every day. I may not know the fear, guilt and shame of what it is like to have been trafficked; but I do know about the fear, guilt and shame that comes when I fail to fully rely on God.

Our meeting ended that night with a song about being ransomed. The only reason someone would be held for ransom is if they are worth a high price. If someone is being held captive it is because they have great value. Often times though, people in bondage do not realize their worth. People in captivity are typically those who are vulnerable and without a voice; yet if unleashed, they are capable of changing the world.

This is why we all need a Savior. On our own we are all held captive by something or someone. But Jesus came to set us free! He has come to give us life, and not just an ordinary, mediocre life. He came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10). He came so that, no matter what circumstances we are in or what decisions we have made, we would not have to live enslaved to anything or anyone. Without a relationship with Jesus Christ everyone is enslaved by something or someone. The process to freedom will take time, but true freedom in Christ is available to everyone.

After leaving the meeting I felt really overwhelmed. I had no idea of the pain of sex trafficking and I was not prepared for the way my heart would respond. For a few days I felt really numb and yet I just couldn’t stop thinking about the brokenness in our world.

I started researching websites and found great educational information on the International Justice Mission site (www.ijm.org). I started talking with others who are involved with sex trafficking from my church and other local churches who have been working to bring justice and restitution to people’s lives.

There are a lot of steps to take to end sex trafficking in our world, and yet in the process there are also a lot of people to care for. Become educated on the facts and contact your local community service organization to find out how you and your church can get involved in caring for those who have been involved in sex trafficking.

The first National Human Trafficking Day was a very informative day in my life, and yet the information is just the beginning. God has created the Church with people who have different gifts and talents so that we could all work together to compassionately show the world the life and freedom that can only be found in Him.