She
stood motionless while the water streams down over her body, as the water
washes her face so does her tears flow from her eyes. She grabs the soap and
scrubs her whole body with it as if it can wash all the filthiness brought
about by the different men she slept with.
Selena
was in this kind of living since 16, now she’s in her 20’s, she was forced by
her mother to work as a waitress in a pub, little did she know that her job as
a waitress has extensions within the cubicles of that bar where men would pay
for sex, young and innocent, Selena entered the world of prostitution to
provide for her family. Selena doesn’t have any choice; their need for survival
put her in a situation where she herself can’t break the contract. As years
pass by, the horror, pain and guilt intensify every time she would offer
herself as a means to gratify the flesh of men, young and old as her young body
was abused and wrecked a hundred times.
Eyes
of condemnation pierced her everywhere she went, as if an arrow was struck
right through her, men disrespect her, women despise her and the society has
abandoned her. “Look at the way she acts, it is as if she’s a saint, but in
fact an expert on bed!” She heard one time when she was passing by the street
in Tondo, Manila, followed by a loud chortle of insult. There is nothing she
could do but to live up with their ridicule, what they said about her is a fact
and she couldn’t deny that. If only there are other means, she thought to
herself, she would do anything to escape that kind of life, but it’s hard to
find a job in a world where the society has marked you with a reputation as a “hooker.”
Selena once tried to work in a fast food chain but her contract was terminated
instantly the moment the management did a background check on her due to the
gossip of some employees with “itchy tongues”, she had to look for another job,
but it seems that the easy ones are behind the “motel doors”.
“God,
I’m tired of living this life, I’m tired of being used and abused, I don’t
think I could go on a little longer, I’m tired, I’m really, really tired…help
me, if You are really there, save me from this life…” Selena cried with a soft
voice, she knew that she doesn’t have enough strength to continue and even face
another customer for the night. Just then she heard a faint knock on the door,
she gave out a deep sigh, this is her fifth customer and whatever happens she
wants to end it all as quickly as possible. She fixed herself and walked slowly
toward the door, she opened the door without looking at the man who was
standing outside patiently.
“Please
come in,’ Selena motioned the man to sit as she started to undress while facing
an opposite direction. But to her surprise, she felt the man wrapped a robe
around her, “I’ve been longing to do this to you for a long time,” Selena could
hear the gentle voice and felt the warm hands over her shoulders, “I know all
the tears you cried, there is not a tear that falls from your eyes that is
unknown to Me for I know them all, this is not what I planned for you, it hurts
Me so much to see you ruined, to live in guilt, in fear and in rejection.”
The Man embraced
her and with a smile He led her outside the door. As they were walking
downstairs Selena could feel the strength of His arms, the security, comfort
and peace she never felt before. Tears run down her cheeks, as if a thorn that
was struck through her was being pulled, she heard Paula’s voice, “Hey, where
do you think you’re going?” but the Man’s look silenced him and he stood there
appalled. Selena could see the door, as they were walking towards it, all the
memories of her life flashed before her eyes, and her vision dimmed, “Selena…as
you walk through this door you’re stepping into a new life, from darkness to
light, all the memories of your life will never be forgotten but it will be a
memorial for you on how your life was changed as a testimony on how gracious
the Lord your God is. So strengthened yourself and know that in every step of
the way, I walk with you,” the Man said to her gently. The Man holds Selena’s
hands tightly, she gathered all her strength and together they walked out of
the door. Upon stepping out, men of stature meet them and greeted them with a
smile, Selena could see the Man nodding and each man gathered around them, and
suddenly they were walking together as if being escorted with a throng of
powerful army!
They stopped in
front of a building; Selena could hear people singing, “Go ahead Selena, walk
in… remember I am with you and I will uphold you and strengthen you,” Selena walked
slowly toward the entrance, until she reached a large room filled with people
singing, when she looked around, the men who were with her were no longer there
and so does the Man who gave her the robe she was wearing.
Soon people
approached her and welcomed her with a smile, one man introduced himself as
Pastor Dave and told her that they were having an overnight prayer meeting;
Selena felt no indifference amidst these people, immediately, she felt the
warmth, care and belongingness offered by these strangers, one woman approached
her, “Hi, I’m Cathy, I saw you at the market one time, I approached you and
gave you a Christian booklet, you look so preoccupied that time, I tried to
start a conversation but then you left right away and you forget the booklet I gave
you,” the woman explained briefly, Selena then remembered her, she must have
been so focused where to get money to pay for the rent for their apartment and
for the electric bill so she unintentionally ignored her. “Ever since that day,
I never ceased to pray for you and I’m hoping that I could see you one more
time, indeed God answers prayer, because here you are, I’m so happy to see you…”
continued Cathy.
“My name is Sandy,
I’m not sure if you remember me, but I always sat by the restaurant across the
motel bar where you’re working, I took notice of you the first time I came to
dine in the restaurant when you came in, you sat all alone in the corner
weeping, I felt the burden in my heart to tell you about Jesus Christ, how He
save me from the pit of destruction, because I once was in that situation
before, I know the pain you’re going through, since then, I’ve been praying for
you.” Sandy stated, yes, Selena remembered her, she was always at the
restaurant across the street, she remembered her as the “stranger” who smiles
every time they met, one time, she gave her a Christian tract about God, but
she threw it in garbage.
It’s all coming
back to her now, she remembers them, she realized that God is real and He’s
there all this time for her, all these people who were praying for her though a
complete stranger yet God put in their hearts her face so as to include her in
their prayers, it was not God who took it so long to notice her, to hear her,
to answer her, it was her who delayed her approach to God.
You see there is
no such thing as accident in God’s vocabulary, but to Him, He purposed
everything under heaven for men to realize that there is God who cares, loves
and is willing to rescue you. No matter how marred or ruined you are, God has
the power to restore you, to put together the broken pieces and to make you new
again. Now, Selena is living a new life, she was given a job as an assistant
teacher in the same church where people welcomed her, her past doesn’t matter
to her anymore, she serves as a living testimony of God’s grace and forgiveness
to all men and women who are living in the dark world of prostitution and sex
slavery. There is hope and that hope can only be found in God alone.
Selena may be
living in you, you may feel hopeless, unwanted and unloved, remember there is
this Man who is willing to put His arms around you, who is willing to rescue
you, who is willing to show that you are love dearly no matter who you are,
where you came from or what you have done in the past, Selena experienced the
restoration of God, all her shame, guilt and fear were nailed on the cross by
this one Man… Jesus, the Lover of Selena…
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