August 1: Judgement Day

My heart is heavy today as I ponder the sentencing and judgement of Ariel Castro and the atrocities he committed against those girls for over a decade. No earthly punishment could ever atone for the pain and suffering he has wrought on their lives. It's at times like this I'm so very thankful we have a Savior who wipes away our tears and who will one day restore all that was lost.

One has to wonder how a human being could do such a thing to another, and we are quick to call him a monster. I would venture to guess that if you walked up to any little boy or girl in the park where I'm

sitting and asked them what they wanted to be when they grow up, a combination of kidnapper/rapist/murderer wouldn't even remotely be on the list. People don't aspire to a career as a monster, and they don't get there overnight. It's a series of very small, and at first seemingly insignificant choices, many of which begin at a young age. 

Being exposed to pornography early in life can form a root in a boy's heart that can literally take him the rest of his life to eradicate completely and keep out of the soil of his soul. And even if it is erradicated, like any other addiction it still looms on the periphery, always waiting to move back in during times of weakness, loneliness, or stress. This is a most difficult journey for a Christian, let alone someone who has no relationship with The Lord. If this root is not ripped out, it will only take more and more to satisfy the insatiable desire it produces. Add to that a cocktail of childhood abuse, pain, neglect, & abandonment: enter the world of human trafficking. 

I'm in no way justifying this heinous business, merely shedding some light on the road to depravity. Even with that being said, however, I still don't understand how you really get there. To that place. The place where your selfishness and self-gratification become more important than a human life. Than 3 human lives. How human lives can become as objects or property. I can only think about this whole thing in small doses because it's sickening.

Human trafficking doesn't just exist in other countries, it's in your backyard and in mine. A story that got international coverage happened less than 10 minutes down the road from my house. My husband passes the street every day on his way to work. Every. Day. I'm glad that, if nothing else, this story has shed some light on the dark world of human trafficking and it's prevalence. It's going to take all of us working together to stop more innocent women and children from becoming victims. Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1.888.373.7888 to report a tip, get information about trafficking resources in your area, or to connect with local trafficking services. Pick up your cell phone and add it to your contacts. One phone call can save someone from a life most of us shudder to even imagine. 

Think honorably, my friends, for your thoughts become your actions. 

Act lovingly, my friends, for your actions become your character.

Submit your character to The Lord, my friends, for it becomes your destiny.

Whatever is true, noble, excellent, right, lovely, honorable, pure, and praiseworthy, think on such things {Phil. 4:8}, for your thoughts will become your destiny. Choose carefully that on which you dwell.