MAY 29, 2014
I have been chatting with a young lady in her early 20s who uses her mobile phone online. On her profile, she was desperately looking to be someone’s live in girlfriend but she focused a great deal on looking for love and compassion more than the usual sexual focus that is present on most profiles seeking the same thing. I wouldn’t have given it more than a passing prayer except someone posted on her profile all her personal business in a very vile and nasty way and it really disturbed my spirit because she already seemed to be hurting.
So I asked her what was going on with her life that someone could write such things. Here is part of what she wrote me:
“I have been through a lot startin at the age of three I was raped by different guys from the age of three til I was 21. My mom didn’t care and still don’t care her men comes first. Yes I do have some retail theft on my record but all my charges was dropped I have never been convicted of anything I have no felony. I have never dranked or been to a bar or club I have never did drugs or smoked anything. My daughter I had custody of her til I filled for divorce from her dad then I sign my rights over to me grandma cause I thought that would be best for her. As far as my son I wasn’t in the best life to raise my son and to teach him to be a man so I let his dad raise him. I have been hurt abused and used all I want is to feel wanted and loved. My life now I basically live on the streets. I was working but it was temporary so it over but I am looking for another job I have been in fast food and retail sales and stuff like that. I always wanted to own my own hospital for children I love helping people and being there for people even though no one is there for me.”
Basically Her whole life was one of rape from the revolving door of men her mother let in and out. Her theft charges were dropped because she ran away from home trying to survive. She then jumped into a marriage to escape the abuse and that really was not a solution either. She couldn’t go back to her mother’s house. Her grandmother is already raising too many other grandkids and dealing with other family drama but does pay to keep her phone on. It is a family that has deep serious issues that is in denial about them and how this young lady managed to keep what sense she has is beyond me. I checked out her story with those who live in the same town who know the family history and confirm that this young lady is not lying.
This young lady graduated high school in the middle of all this mess. She could have dropped out, been on drugs or whatever. She is one of those quiet victims that you or I could have sat next to all through school and never known what was going on. She was in a shelter program until she allowed a man to convince her to be with him. You already know how that turned out. Now they won’t let her back. In many ways because she hasn’t allowed herself to go down the path of addiction, the history of abuse alone is not enough for programs to help her.
Today she wrote:
HER: I am I been everywhere and anywhere I slept in woods I have slept with strangers trying to find a place I’m just tired of it all
Me: I know you have put yourself out there and that is why I was worried in the first place because you can’t keep letting people use your body. I’m not judging you because I know you want more than that but you will never get off the street sleeping with strangers. You will only lose your life.
HER: Ik but I have nothing eles
I am familiar with the town she is in. She really needs to just get out of there and get her life together because she never had a chance from the time she was a baby. Please pray that some door opens for this young lady. There is a depth to her spirit of survival that tells me there is much more her life is meant to fulfil. -NEO
UPDATE: The situation I posted earlier today about the young lady. My spirit led me to call a new friend in ministry who I met a year ago and have been helping with some projects over the past year because he couldn’t afford stuff like his website and brochures and other materials for his ministry. I actually called him to ask him to just keep the young lady in prayer because I already knew he and his family were already struggling with their own situation. Well as it turned out, the work I did to help promote that ministry drew enough attention to him that it opened a door where he was recruited to a paid position to take over the head of a ministry group that has intervention programs that include several men and women’s shelters and he is using his new authority to make arrangements to get her off the streets tonight. A year ago I just believed his heart was in the right place and gave time I really didn’t have to help him. It didn’t make sense to my mind at the time why I invested so much in him. But now it makes perfect sense to my spirit. My heart gets burned a lot trying to live this way, but it’s answers like this that make it all worthwhile. THANK YOU to all of you who prayed. Now we have to pray her strength to see it through all the help and counselling she will need to get her life on track. -NEO
UPDATE 2 (6/10/2014): “Many of you have written asking for an update on the homeless young lady I sought to help. I believe the post is still in my status feed for those of you who are unfamiliar with her story. My associates contacted her to make arrangements to get her off the street and she never made herself available for any of the meetings or appointments but continues to prostitute her body in hopes that some man will keep her. Sometimes I think we can get so stuck in a bad way that we don’t know how to accept positive help when it is in front of us. I remember a homeless man telling me he was hungry then cussed me out when I offered to let him join me for lunch. It isn’t that I think everyone who reacts in such a way is dishonest, I think some people will simply remain beyond help until they decide they want it. I can only pray that she doesn’t die continuing to do what she is doing. The sad thing about it is if I had offered her my bed for the night, she would have jumped at the chance to see if I would want to keep her, but when offered a chance to get off the street and into a program that would help her get the counseling necessary to get on her feet, it wasn’t enough. I don’t really look at it as a failure because she can never again say that at least one man didn’t offer to help her without asking her to pay with her body. That is one seed I am always happy to plant. But I do get weary sometimes when so many cry for help but really don’t want the help that is best for them. I’m sure it won’t change what I do the next time a situation like this comes up. I never could really keep myself from diving in heart first sometimes. But every once in a while, on days like this, I miss the feel of loving arms around me with smiling eyes that say, even though I already know… that at least I tried.” -Neo Blaqness