A Mother On The Sidewalk
As our team walked through the streets of Bangkok my heart was touched by this women, sitting on the busy sidewalk, with this little one sound asleep in her lap. Strangers strolling by without even glancing her direction, some occasionally tossing a bit of change in her cup; as if this life she lives is accepted. We walked on by, just like all the others, but something inside of me said, "go back to her." I knew I couldn't let this moment pass; I felt the Fathers love for her and I needed to share it with her. I ran back to where she was sitting, sat down next to her, and looked into her eyes. As I smiled at her, she stared back at me with pain in her eyes so deep it pierced my soul. I sat with her for several minutes, holding back my own tears, wanting to know her story, wishing we could communicate.
The local missionary with our team came back to where we were sitting. He knelt down beside us and greeted her in her own language. She responded back to him and for several minutes they spoke to each other. He translated for me what I felt the Lord wanted her to know, "Jesus loved her and His eyes were upon her."
I hugged her again and we left this mother sitting on the sidewalk, as people passed her by, but now with a thought planted in her heart.
The Father saw her, heard her cries, and wanted her to know He was with her.
We found out after only a few minutes of talking with her that she was from Cambodia. It's highly likely this women, and infant, had been taken from their country, trafficked into Thailand and were being used to make money on the streets of the city. Many of those begging for money on the streets are actually victims of trafficking.
To read more about human trafficking in Thailand go to....... http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Thailand.htm
*Please remember to pray for those trapped in trafficking in Southeast Asia.*
