Daughter's of the King

Just recently, I came home from spending a day in Grand Rapids for an orientation of my upcoming trip to Thailand. I have yet to meet these rescued women, but my heart calls out to them. In learning more of the details of the trip, I am challenged, yet eagerly anticipating the time that is so near at hand. I have always had a deep capacity to feel another's pain, and I long to wrap arms of love around them. Our stories are different, but we share in the pain of brokenness, broken hearts and broken dreams. And we come to the same God who has loved us since before the beginning of time. At the foot of His cross we all meet on level ground. How I love this God who has seen us through our darkest night, who has found us where we have kept ourselves hidden. He is the One who has loved us all our life. His is the sweetest voice that has ever called our name. I would like to share a glimpse into the heart of these women. I hope that it touches your heart as it has mine. Part of what we as a group will be doing is put on a banquet for these precious women. For the first time in their lives, they have the opportunity to experience the delight of being the princess invited to the ball. Tiaras, magic wands, dainty dishes, wedding cake, beautiful gifts, dancing, laughter, an evening of wearing the glass slipper. For many of them it is the first time they walk away glad to be a woman. They find it hard to believe that someone would actually do something nice for them. They ask, "Why do you make us look so good?" when they cannot see inside themselves any beauty or worth. All their lives they've been used, they've been perpetrated against, and all sense of value and worth has been stripped from their souls. This is where the thief, the enemy of our souls, has stepped in to steal, kill, and destroy what God meant as something beautiful and precious, to be cherished and protected. Last year at the banquet, there were women who believed the gift bags with tissue paper peeking out were just for show. Imagine the looks of pure delight upon finding all the treasures they held inside! There was also a beautiful wedding cake setting on a cake table for these beautiful brides of Christ. One girl couldn't believe it was real - her words, "They wouldn't do something like that for us." She was convinced it was cardboard just covered by the layers of frosting. She went to poke the cake to prove to the other girls she was right. Instead, she found that her hand went through the frosting right on into the cake! How delightful a surprise! The story ends here for right now, but there will be more coming!

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion - to give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
Isaiah 61:1-3