Yesterday I talked to two women who both told me stories that were so terrifying. They had gone through so much. It made me hurt to hear what people do to harm another person. It disgusted me. It made me angry at sin and the affects of it on this world. It made me feel helpless.
Then I talked to another woman who had developed an attitude of racism based on many horrible experiences with men of the same race. And she couldn't get help from anyone. People refused to assist her because of her emotional and racist remarks. I even hated the way she talked, but she needed help. I was the only one who would listen. It hurt me to see her get this point. I felt helpless. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help so much more.
I tried to leave after five or six hours. I had spent more time at the shelter than I had planned. I was drained. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. I didn't feel like I could do much more, but I got another call. This one is what really got me. It was a man. And he had been through a truly horrific experience. It shocked me the pain that was inflicted on him by the very people who are supposed to love and take care of him. It was cruel. I couldn't hold back tears. After an hour and a half on the phone with him, yet again, I felt helpless. I wanted to make his pain go away. I wanted to tell these people to stop. I wanted to make him get help. I wanted to love him when no one else would. I wanted him to believe that he was so brave to even talk about it. I wanted him to believe he was worth it. He was worth loving. Worth knowing. Worth dying for. All I could do was listen and encourage. It didn't feel like enough. Even as I write this my heart is breaking. Lord, what happened to this world? What happened to your beloved children?
After two hours of sleep last night I was called in for a rape response. It was my first time. I had heard of the client's previous case and when I showed up I didn't even know whether to believe her. But it is my job to believe every person who tells their story. It is not my place to make judgments because I'm not God. I won't ever be able to know what really happened. But the doctor didn't believe her, the police officer didn't believe her, and the advocate I was shadowing wasn't standing up for her. I didn't know what to do. This women needed someone to listen to her, to care about her. Even if her story wasn't true, there is obviously a deeper reason why she was there. She was searching for something. And if it actually happened, imagine how helpless it would feel to have no one believe you. It's terrible. Even the people who want to help are broken, sinful people who aren't always adept at loving.
Our world is terribly broken. I want you to hear this. Anyone. Everyone. This is our world. This is reality. This is why we MUST have Christ. And this is why we MUST attempt to love the way he did. Who else will? I hope these stories remind you, like they do me, that every person is in need of something. We can't ignore them or discount this need. We are called to respond. We are called to see the invisible, listen to the unheard, and love the broken, unloved people. Because God wants to rescue brokenhearted and crushed in spirit.
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