Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?
Isaiah 58:6
Prayer breaks chains and gives favor that is supernatural. It enables rescue and puts people in the right place at the right time.
How are you this month? I hope you are doing well and that your summer is pleasant! We’re continuing in our series of “Know- Pray – Act” this month by focusing on what seems like a rather simple charge: This summer, show you care.
A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17
Know
Zig Ziglar is quoted as saying a profound truth, “People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." This month’s charge may seem simple, but I assure you it is effective. During the summer time you’re more likely to run into preteens and teenagers on break from school – some of the most vulnerable to trafficking in your town – more than any other time in the year. Use this time to your advantage. Simple acts of kindness will speak volumes and can have a lasting, positive effect.
Pray
- God, help me be a light in my community. Help me to reach out and show people that I care.
- God, show me how to actively show others your love. Help me to bloom where you’ve planted me in my neighborhood and to overcome any fear or insecurity that comes my way. Thank you for using me to be a friend, and a friendly face for you!
Act
Here are some suggestions for actively showing you care in your community:
- Be a friend. Show goodness to people that you do not know. A smile goes a long way. Be known as the friendliest person on your block. Say hi to your neighbors. Get to know those on your street.
- Show love and compassion, through acts of kindness to others. Can you pay for the value meal of a teen standing in line behind you at McDonalds and ask them to ‘pay it forward’? What ways can you be an example to teens of showing kindness and love to strangers that is within your means?
- Boycott businesses and services that support sex and labor trafficking. One easy way to do this, regarding labor trafficking, is to shop more at second hand clothing stores if you are able. Shopping second hand cuts down on demand for new, cheaply produced goods that may be made through slave labor. Start a dialogue with others on your good buys and why you’re seeking to incorporate second hand shopping more into your wardrobe. (Remember – it’s all about sustainable baby steps, so start slow and celebrate victories.)
- Get to know your neighbors. The simple act of inviting them over for tea, cookies, or coffee at your house can start new friendships. Summer time is the perfect time to get out and about and make new friends. Enjoy the outdoors and get to know those in your area.
As you develop more relationships, you become a trusted person that can be called on in time of need. Perhaps someone reading this will be a ‘trusted friend’ called on by a trafficked victim stuck in a domestic servitude situation, similar to what happened just miles away from my own home. The more you get to know neighbors, the more opportunity you’ll have to be a friend in time of need. And what better time to do this than summer!
New Resource
After being under construction for some time, the Free2Work website has now been improved and updated. Take a minute to view the grades given to popular brands of clothing, chocolate, house goods and more, and see how they rank in: Policies, Transparency, Monitoring, Workers Right’s and Overall Scores.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Anti-Trafficking Specialist
Aglow International
