The “fatherless Generation”

About five years ago, I saw a news story about a four year old girl that was killed in the Arizona Foster Care System, and my life has never been the same.  This beautiful child lost her life after a daycare worker tried to keep her from waking the other children by placing her hand over the girl’s mouth.  The news said that the daycare worker would not be charged for the murder of the girl, because it was an accident.  The woman never intended to kill the child when she suffocated her on the first day that she attended the state run daycare, so it had to be an accident?

The child’s Foster parent (a single male with no blood relation) commented that the girl had no one who loved her, and that she was all alone in the world.  He said that her death would be just like her life, and no one would care.  His outward demeanor was half melancholy and half sarcastic, but neither showed the signs of a compassionate parent.  He looked like he had no business caring for any child, especially not one that the state gave him custody as a single, unrelated man.  This story was heartbreaking and suspicious to say the least.   I couldn’t bear the thought of what she must have suffered in this world all alone, and the fact that no one was going to fight for her life or death was an injustice that was beyond comprehension.

l spent the next two years determined to end child abuse.  I made my way into several non profits by doing anything that was needed to help them.  After countless hours of child abuse research, awareness efforts, volunteer projects, and legislative initiatives, I realized that the numbers had actually increased by 40% on the number of children in the Arizona Foster Care System!  My heart was aching for these little ones, and I was desperate to help in any way that I could.

I remember driving in my car, and trying not to cry after losing the battle with a child sexual abuse prevention bill in the AZ legislature, and suddenly I just started talking to God.  I had zero knowledge of the bible, but I knew that God helped me at least two times in the past when I cried out for help, so out of utter desperation, I cried out for these innocent children.  I spoke a very detailed prayer asking God to please help me, because I simply couldn’t save these children without Him!  I asked Him to rescue just one child a day, because I thought that one child was better than none, but God had a better plan.

Three days after I poured out my heart in prayer, I received a call from a nonprofit that I served on the Board of Directors.  The founder of the nonprofit wanted me to come and meet a girl that the police had brought to them after she was rescued from a motel in Scottsdale.  The police received an anonymous tip that the girl was being sex trafficked.  By this time, I had already forgotten all about my prayer, but I heard a little voice whisper, “She is alive, because of your prayer”.  I had never heard that little voice before, but there was no mistaking what I heard, and I immediately asked when they found the girl.  The woman tried to tell me it was on a Saturday night, but my prayer was on a Friday night, and I told the woman that she was wrong, and that the girl was rescued on Friday night.  The woman didn’t understand why I was being so insistent on the day, but she agreed to call the police and get the exact time and day, so that I would stop hounding her about it.

A few hours later, the lady called me back and wanted to know how I could have known the day was Friday, because the police confirmed that the girl was in fact rescued on Friday, but she wasn’t taken to the safe house until Saturday evening.  The lady asked if I had been involved with the FBI operation that had taken place that same night across the nation.   I had no idea what she was talking about, but in order to get more info, I said, “what have you heard?”  She said that 168 children were rescued that weekend in the largest sex trafficking bust at that time in the US.

As soon as she spoke the words, that same small voice that I heard earlier whispered, “Think bigger!  I want to save more than one child a day!” Holy Crap!  God heard my prayer!!!  I didn’t even know for sure if God was real when I prayed that night.  I only knew that I couldn’t fix the issue on my own, and I had come to the end of my finding the solutions after two years of sleepless nights trying to figure out a way to stop the evil that was destroying our children, so I went to the last place I could think of for help.

Not only was there a God, but He was eager to answer that prayer and all the prayers that have followed!

This is just one piece of a beautiful story that is still unfolding, but I am ready to share all of the pieces, because I am not here to create a legacy about my life, but I am here to share in a legacy that is much greater than my own life.  I know an awesome God that loves every single person, and He is ready to be found by everyone!

Man can’t solve the social injustices alone, because man is the reason for most of them.  God is the One that can do what is impossible for man, so if you want to see your community free from crime and evil, I suggest that you start by partnering with the Creator of all good!  Use your voice by praying for the lives that are suffering all around you.  If you don’t know how to help someone, PRAY for them!  God knows how to do what you don’t or can’t do on your own, so just show love for others by praying for them.  That is the greatest thing that you can ever do to help a hurting life.