I hope you were able to have a wonderful Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day might be one holiday where we need to guard what we say more than any other. For some, Mother’s Day is a day filled with grief for those who have lost their mothers. Others carry the grief of a lost child. Others carry the grief and frustration of never having been able to have a child. Others struggle because they have never known their biological mother. Fortunately for some, other women have stepped in to care and provide the love children need. However, there are still some children who have never known a love that a mother can truly give.
I feel blessed in having a mother who is still living and a mother who has always been there for me, to love and to care. It was nice being able to be with her on this Mother’s Day.
As we travel to my mother’s house, there is a section of road that feels like a gauntlet of the “adult industry.” It often causes me to wonder about the stories, the life stories of the people, the women, and yes, the mothers.
It was a few years ago that I first noticed a billboard similar to this one:
I appreciate the work of this ministry. Their website is www.shessomebodysdaughter.org. You can also find some other posts that describe the work that several local churches in the Harrisburg area are doing. Here is an excerpt from one of the posts by Tammy Stauffer, director of She’s Somebody’s Daughter, “I’M SORRY I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS, BUT …”:
We visited a total of five clubs one night recently and handed out 65 gifts and snack bags. The most interesting and memorable time of our evening happened at our “adopted club” number 6, when a beautiful young girl came into the dressing room, saw the meal, and said, “Oh, it’s you! I have so many questions for you!”
She asked questions for over an hour as she nibbled at the food, and even videotaped our conversation at one point so she could remind herself that this really happened.
- Why are you here?
- Don’t you condemn and judge us?
- This is so nice. Why are you so nice when you’re Christians?
- Christians are fake and judgmental. Aren’t you going to tell us we’re going to hell?
- Do you know that we’re strippers? Doesn’t that bother you? How can you sit in here and be with us?
- Aren’t you going to tell us that we’re just sinners?
- Is this all donated? Why would people do this for us? We are usually looked down on, you know?
- Can someone be forgiven if they’ve sold their daughter into prostitution? Is that worse than murder?
- Do you believe in abortion?
- Do you believe in heaven and hell? Where do you think you’re going? Where do you think we’re going?
- Are you offended by my questions? I’m sorry I have so many!
- What if no One is out there and it’s all just a lie?
- What is God’s love like? How will I know it?
- What if He asks me to leave this lifestyle? Will I see a sign?
- Are you coming back?
We fielded questions for over an hour and loved every single minute of it! More than once, one of our team members reminded each of us in the room that we all are sinners and sin every day. She explained to the girls that God loves us where we are and pursues and calls us to him on his terms, in his timing.
She ends the post with these words:
A question has been haunting me ever since our visit to club number 6 … what have we done as Christians to make those who need to experience God’s hope and love think that we wouldn’t care if they go to heaven or hell?
Oh, but we care – every one of us – from those who gave financially, to those who gave food, to those who prayed, to those of us who visited.
And we count the cost as gain.
In another post called, SHOWING A NEW KIND OF LOVE, Tammy begins with these words:
Our team gathered gift bags, Valentine’s cookies and prayers from friends and family as we prepared to deliver 40+ gift bags to two area strip clubs. Offering beautifully decorated cookies and gift bags was just a small way for us to show love to those who work in an industry where the real definition of love is extremely misconstrued.
There are a lot of stories we do not know. There is a lot of hurt being carried. There are a lot of confusing ideas out there about what it means to be a Christian. There are a lot of confusing images in our time of what love is.
As we journey together, may we all seek to care, as Jesus cares, and may we love, as Jesus loves.
Blessings,
Pastor Matt