by Donya Dunlap | May 7, 2013 | Modern Day Slavery
This morning I found myself sitting in a waiting room watching in amazement as the news told of three lost women’s escape from a home where they have been held captives since their disappearances. According to a news article on CNN.com, Michele Knight was 20 years old when she went missing in August of 2002, Amanda Berry was kidnapped after leaving work the evening before her 17th birthday in 2003 and Gina DeJesus disappeared at the age of 14 in 2004. As is the case in many domestic human trafficking and slavery cases, neighbors had no idea the women were trapped in the home next door. (“Three women reunited with families after years in captivity” Read the CNN article here)
You may think situations like this are rare occurrences in the US, but unfortunately, for every celebrated rescue that makes the headlines, there are thousands that go missing and are never heard from again. Authors Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter write of many of these human trafficking cases in their book The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today. In the case of these Cleveland women, they were being held not far from where they were taken captive. For many others, they are transported into other cities, other countries or criss-crossed between states so that finding them is next to impossible. While many are hidden behind locked doors to suffer a constant stream of visitors that take from their bodies, many others are hidden in plain sight at massage parlors, restaurants, farmers fields, and street corners.
I rejoice with the families of these three women whose lives can now begin again. I am thrilled to hear of the courage of Amanda Berry who took the opportunity she was given to attempt escape and I applaud the neighbor who helped her. I am thankful that the young child that was also rescued will have an opportunity to go to school, to play outside and to make friends.
How many more are begging God to rescue them too?
The Polaris Project has developed numerous resources for recognizing signs of human trafficking and how to help the victims. I encourage you to become familiar with this information so that you can help a victim when you meet one. Here is a partial list of trafficking red flags taken directly from their website:
Common Work and Living Conditions: The Individual(s) in Question
- Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
- Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
- Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
- Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
- Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
- Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
- Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
- Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
- High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)
Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior
- Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
- Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
- Avoids eye contact
Poor Physical Health
- Lacks health care
- Appears malnourished
- Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture
You can make a difference to one trapped in human trafficking and slavery!
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? – Micah 6:8
Photo credit: aussiegall / Foter.com / CC BY
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by Donya Dunlap | May 3, 2013 | Making a Difference
In this video I attempt to communicate my vision for the women in the city of Charlotte. I say “attempt” because my faltering words come so far short of the vision in my heart. The needs in this city are great, as they are in every city. But Charlotte isn’t just any city. It’s the city where God has lead me to do a work for His glory. It’s a city where every time I look around I see hurting women in as many difficult and heartbreaking situations as there are individuals.
But that isn’t all that I can see in this city.
As I consider God’s grace overflowing in this place, I can see healing coming to the woman who has only known abuse. I can see wholeness in the one whose life has been torn apart by sin. I can see redemption for every woman crying herself to sleep tonight. I can see restoration for every teen girl being forced to stay awake to work the streets.
I know that there is hope for these women. I know that Jesus came to give His life to bring them into relationship with Him.
I know this…but they don’t.
My vision is for every single one of these women to hear the life-changing truth that Jesus loves them and has a plan for their future. (Jeremiah 29:11) Will you help me pray that my own shortcomings will not impede the message of God’s grace for this city? Will you pray that I will find away around time constraints and financial needs to do the work that needs to be done? Will you pray that I would have boldness and that I would recognize opportunities God brings across my path?
I can’t do this alone or even as part of Citylight’s team. We need you to stand with us in prayer. The vision is great. As Christ said, the fields are white unto harvest. (John 4:35) Will you be a part of reaching Charlotte for Him?
Vision for the Women of Charlotte! from Brian Norris on Vimeo.
Photo credit: James Willamor / Foter.com / CC BY-SA
by Donya Dunlap | Oct 11, 2012 | The Spiritual Life
Photo Credit: Jefferson Noguera
Let me guess, you’re not a “worrier” necessarily, but you’re a “planner.” Am I right?
How did I know? Because that’s what I say too. “Worrying” is wrong and there are a number of “fret not” verses in Scripture to remind us of this, but there’s nothing in there about “planning” is there? Or if it is, it’s a good thing, right? Jesus has gone to heaven to “prepare” a place for us, and that has to take some planning. Are you with me?
So you whip out your calendar, your day-planner, your iCal, your Evernote lists and you “plan” for the worst and hope for the best. You think of every possible scenario and what you would do about it if it happens. How are you going to pay for it? How are you going to pack for it? What are you going to do if this-and-such happens?
I’m a planner and I have to say that being organized and thinking ahead are good things. They really are. The trouble comes in when we substitute our preparedness for worry.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34 to,
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
This doesn’t mean that we are supposed to live life flying by the seat of our pants. (Which is a really odd expression by the way. How does one fly by the seat of his pants exactly? Anyway…) What Jesus is saying is that we aren’t supposed to worry about things in the future, but trust Him to take care of them. The verse before this one gives us a very important caveat.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
If we are “planning” our schedules, our budgets, and our futures without any concern for what God would have us do, what would best benefit His kingdom, what will bring Him the most glory, and what will help to advance His gospel, then we are in a heap of trouble.
We can’t just cross our fingers and hope for the best and pay God no attention. We must seek first His kingdom and His righteousness AND THEN all these things shall be added unto us. (All these things referring to verse 31 in which it lists worrying about what we will eat, drink and wear, NOT “all these things” meaning the fabulous new pair of stilettos you just found at T.J. Maxx.)
Psalm 147:11 tells us that,
The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.
He takes pleasure in those that choose not to worry about what might happen. He takes pleasure in those that look to Him to be with them no matter what comes because they know that He is a good and merciful God that has our best in mind. Just like the picture above, sometimes we only see part of the whole. But God sees the end from the beginning and everything in between. Even the things that don’t look good to us now, He has promised will work out in the end. Trust Him to take care of both the every day and the “ever after” and you can enjoy a life of peace, even in times of uncertainty.
Do you sometimes have a hard time believing in your heart of hearts that God has good planned for you? What character of God or verse of Scripture helps you to remember that God is worthy of our trust? Please click comment to share your thoughts.
Are you on Pinterest? Follow me and the Forgetting the Fairy Tale board to pin the quote above and other quotes from the book for your encouragement.
by Donya Dunlap | Sep 29, 2012 | The Spiritual Life
I said goodbye to a friend today. She is on her way to New York City with the hope of someday becoming a successful actress on Broadway. Some may scoff at such a dream. Dozens, if not hundreds, of people do the very same thing each year and fail. Why would she be any different? She may not be. That’s the key. There is no guarantee that she will meet the right people or get her headshot into the hands of the right directors. And yet, she feels strongly that God has given her talent and a passion for acting and she believes she can be a light for Him in a very dark place. So as I type, she drives north toward her future. I couldn’t be more excited for her or more proud of her.
Photo Credit: dcubillas
Some would call her actions a “leap of faith.”
But God doesn’t talk about leaps of faith in Scripture. He does, however, talk a lot about steps. Peter had to step out onto the waves. The priests in the Old Testament had to step into the rushing river. Proverbs tells us that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. The thing about faith that is so scary is that we don’t know where those steps are going to take us.
God doesn’t give us a manual for life that we can follow point by point. He gives us just enough for the next step and asks us to trust Him for the one after that and the one after that. This sounds simple enough. We know that God is a good God and He desires the best for us. So why then is it so hard to trust Him? I think it is because He doesn’t have our whole hearts.
As you are getting to know a new person, you are continually evaluating whether or not you can trust them. You share a personal detail here and there and see if they keep it to themselves. You have a secret dream and you share a little to see how they handle that precious information. We do the same thing with God. Instead of believing that He is trustworthy and interpreting our circumstances through the lens of that truth, we have it backwards. We pray for something and see if He comes through like we want Him to. We ask Him to fulfill our dreams without considering what He might have for us and then get disappointed when it doesn’t happen.
While it is important to ensure that sinful people are careful with our trust, we don’t need to worry about how God is going to handle our hearts. He has promised that if we give everything to Him, He will give to us His desires, fulfill those desires, and grant us peace and contentment that we can’t even imagine.
The key is in the letting go.
As Bilbo Baggins says,
“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” (J.R.R Tolkien Quotes)
There’s no telling where my friend might end up someday or where you and I will be a year from now. Just as Frodo didn’t realize the danger and struggle he faced as he stepped out on his grand adventure. But we have an advantage that Frodo didn’t have. We have the God that has orchestrated all things from before the beginning of time lighting our paths. Won’t you trust Him?
Do you have a grand adventure you feel God is calling you to, but you’ve been too afraid to take the next step? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
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by donyadunlap | Aug 16, 2012 | The Spiritual Life
“I’m overwhelmed.” “I have so much to do.” “I don’t have enough money.” “How is this ever going to work?”
Sound familiar?
There are times in my life (like today) when these questions and a dozen more crowd my mind and make it hard to breathe. If I allow myself to play these thoughts in my mind, by the end of the day I am completely overwhelmed, frustrated, discouraged and have accomplished nothing. Why? Because all of my energy was wasted on worry.
David understood this very thing. In Psalm 61 he prays to God and confesses that he is completely overwhelmed. He requests help to remember that he had a higher power, a shelter, a strength that was greater than himself and his problems. We need to do the same.
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. – Psalm 61:1-2
We have a Rock to run to for protection from the storms and for safe haven from the rushing waters that threaten to overcome us. We can choose to stay where we are and drown in our emotions, or we can cry out for help. We can’t climb the cliff ourselves, but when we call on the Lord to rescue us, He is quick to reach out and lift us to safety.
Your circumstances may not change. You may still have a to-do list a mile long and a list of bills to equal it. What will change is your heart. You will have peace that no matter what happens, Christ has a hold on you. You aren’t going to fall to your death. You will be able to take one step at a time with a mind free of worry because you have given your fears over to the only one that can really do anything about them.
Sometimes I think we women tend to worry and fret and plan and manipulate as a way to control the situation. We feel that handing our fears to God is giving up. We think that if we let Him work out the details that things won’t happen the way we want them to. But what we fail to realize is that we aren’t in control no matter how much we try to be. The only thing we are doing when we hold on to our worries is adding sin to our already difficult situation. This pulls us away from God instead of drawing us to Him.
So the next time you are tempted to push play on the recording labeled “What am I going to do?” push pause instead. Take a moment, or several if necessary, and take your concerns to God. Let Him know what the problem is and ask for Him to intervene. Ask Him for the peace needed to think clearly, the grace to leave the problem in His hands and the wisdom to know what to do when the time is right to act.
Do you have a special verse that you turn to when you feel overwhelmed? I would love for you to share it with us in the comments section. It may be just the thing that someone needs to hear today to take courage in the trial they are facing.
