Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Choice

Choice....six letters that combine to make such a powerful word.  More and more I am coming to realize just how important choice is to an individual, how vital it is to helping a person thrive and live with dignity.

Choice is something that I take for granted almost every day.  What am I going to choose for breakfast?  When do I have time in my schedule to meet up with three different people this week?  Honestly, sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the choices I have to make navigating life in a city of 23 million people.  I fail to remember that choice is a blessing, a true blessing.

I know of some women working in situations of exploitation who do not have access to a kitchen.  Their boss brings them their food for each meal and they have no input in terms of the menu items.  These women also have no control of when they will be working.  Their schedule can change on a whim as the boss decides.

I made a deliberate choice to move across the world to work and serve.  Economic necessity forced these women to leave their hometown and seek any possible employment to keep their family financially afloat.  These brave women often leave behind their small children in hopes of seeking a better life.  Once they arrive to the big city they are tricked into working jobs they never expected.  Any form of choice or decision making is quickly taken away.

It often seems counter intuitive that women who are offered alternative employment and a better life do not immediately jump at the opportunity.  When you are not allowed to make basic choices through the day, it is a gigantic step to choose to leave your current situation and make a drastic life change.  It takes time for a woman to build up the self-confidence to start making decisions about their own lives.  This is a long process that takes relationships with stable influences.  More importantly, it takes hours of intercession asking Him to intervene in these women's lives and change their hearts as only He can.  I am so thankful that I have been blessed with the opportunity to be His salt and light to these amazingly resilient women.  I am thankful that I can be part of their healing journey.  I am thankful that how I choose to spend my time ultimately helps another woman make choices for herself.