My Road to Becoming a Voice

Human Sex Trafficking. Just saying those three words kind of makes you shiver a bit, doesn't it?  I kind of remember the first time I heard those words years ago, and I thought "well, that just isn't very pleasant!" and moved on.  Except my heart held onto it... and something started to grow.  

William Wilberforce said, “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” 

There is a lot of truth in that simple statement.  It applies to so much in our lives, even beyond sex trafficking.  But for the sake of this blog, we will apply it to this subject. That knowledge was a seed that planted some place deep in my heart, and then grew into a passion to stand up against such atrocities in this life: to become an Advocate.  There are some things that I can only hate in life, and maybe cannot actively do anything about them.  But this - Humam Sex Trafficking - this I can fight!  I am one of those women who has a hurt in her past, and I know how much that hurt has affected my life.  On a daily basis I am thankful that somehow I was spared from what victims of trafficking have to go through, but I also know how easy it is for a young person to end up trapped.  

What can we do?  We can SPEAK!  We can 

stand against the things that feed this 

horrible thing that we don't really want to talk about.   

Have you ever had a secret?  Something bad or hurtful in your life, and you just didn't think anyone would understand?  Actually you may have even felt people would judge you and think less of you?  Then have you ever had an opportunity that for some reason you just had to share that bad thing with someone -- you just couldn't keep it in any longer, and you weren't really sure why you were even sharing... but then you find that the person you are sharing with has been hurt in a similar way??  And they felt alone.  And you knew exactly how that felt, and you didn't want them to feel that any longer.  Simply by you sharing your story, you made them feel less alone.  THAT is where we can start.  We can share our stories with one another... and we can share them with our kids, friends and others placed in our lives.  We can show through sharing that they are not feeling and experiencing things that are just exclusive to them - but very often we have gone through a very similar thing when we were younger.  We can connect with them and let them know that we understand - and if we haven't gone through something, that we want to understand.  

They are not alone.  They do not have to feel rejected or worthless or misunderstood.  There is someone who will hear them and love them. 

Sadly, I kept many things secret in my life for a very long time.  I let shame and embarrassment and fear of what someone else might think control me, and that keep me in a place of hurt and worthlessness.  Then slowly, God started to put me in different situations where I needed to share my story with someone - I needed to share my hurt.  I had to let go of the worry about what someone else would think of me, and realize that helping someone else avoid hurt I had lived with was MUCH more important than what some other person might think about me.  And then it all made more sense.  We are to fight for each other... God wants us to love one another, to help one another, to be there for one another.  And that means we open up our hearts and stop worrying about what some silly or mean person might think if we show we're actually not in a perfect life.  If everyone opened up to that, imagine how much easier life would be.  But that's not what the enemy wants.  He wants us to be under his control, believing we are worthless - and therefore continue living in our hurt and despair.  

Life on this earth isn't going to get easier.  People are going to get meaner, crimes are going to get harsher and more dangerous.  Criminals are going to get smarter.  Those who want to control others will find more ways to do that - especially when they are making money from that control.  But we can't lose heart, because we are strong too - and we can fight against this.  And one place we can start is by loving each other enough to share our hurts, and let others who are hurting know they do not have to be alone.  

For me, my road to becoming a VOICE in the fight against human sex trafficking began with hurt in my own life.  For some it's the simple injustice again fellow humans that moves them to become a voice.  What will make YOU become a voice?  



**If you live in the Myrtle Beach, SC area - or will be visiting - on April 2nd, 2014 -- please join us for an Awareness Event.  Here is the information, and if you have any questions, please, please send me a message to dk@photobydk.com -- and I promise I will promptly reply.  Also, sharing this information with someone else would be such a gift - and could be the help they need. Thank you! 

www.susannorris.org