freedom – A Woman Standing

Society Of Me

On Monday, I was invited to a seminar focused on the disturbing world of sex trafficking. Individuals from primarily South American countries shared their knowledge of the industry and what their organizations are doing to put an end to it.

I listened to a woman discuss the emotional torment she endured due to trafficking and how she still sometimes finds herself depressed about what she went through, but then reminds herself she is fortunate to be part of the 2% of woman who are able to obtain freedom from it.

Someone else told us that 2019 was the most successful year for saving victims from sex trafficking, having rescued 118,000 individuals from traffickers. The number astounded me, until he said there is an estimate of 29.5 million victims in captivity to this industry.

We learned about the negative impact COVID lockdowns had on sex trafficking. That when the rest of the world shut down because of fear, perpetrators doubled down and took more victims than ever before. Hearings against offenders was down 50% in 2020, so as the numbers of victims grew, the numbers of those held accountable dropped rapidly.

No Depth To The Darkness

There is no depth to the darkness, did you know that? The devil does not suddenly have an “end point” when it comes to the sickness and disease he desires to bring into the world, or the corruption he longs to place upon humanity, or the abuse, addiction, hurt and violence he aches to plague us with.

I have known this for some time, yet I am still shocked at just how deep into the depths of darkness the devil wants to take us.

Our world is under attack, there is no doubting that now. We are not only fighting an enemy from without, looking at places like North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nigeria and China and thinking about how bad it is over there, but rather, today, we are looking at our own society, our towns, communities, neighbors, offices and churches and realizing just how bad it has gotten here, in the land of the free and home of so many brave.

America Is Still Standing

Although she may be scarred, wounded, bleeding and abused, America is still standing.

Although others have mocked, belittled, harmed and hurt her, America is still standing.

Though the enemy has attempted to tear her down time and time again, America is still standing.

Though her friends have turned their backs on her, have placed knives within her when she was not looking, America is still standing.

Freedom Over Fear And Faith Over Doubt

Before I step onto my soapbox, I want to start this post with a couple statistics and thoughts before I begin my “rant”.

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The original U.S. coronavirus death toll prediction was 2.2 million, that number later changed to 240,000 and is now around 70,000. During the 2017-2018 flu season, according to the CDC, an estimated 80,000 people died.

I am not making light of death in any way. It is terrible so many died from the flu and it is terrible so many have died from the coronavirus, BUT, where was the mass hysteria during the 2017/2018 flu season? Why did politicians and medical experts not blanket the airways with panic, stating the CDC declared the 2017/2018 season as the, “first season to be classified as a high severity across all age groups”?

Why did we react so differently to that health threat then we have to COVID-19?

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I’m now stepping onto my soapbox.

What we are witnessing in today’s society are the masses believing in and acting upon a lie.

There Is Freedom

This time of quarantine has been difficult. I don’t believe there is a person in the world unimpacted by what is happening around the globe right now. Although it seems as if our world has been flipped upside down and our norms are now abnormal, I believe the greatest difficulty many are struggling with is the heaviness that accompanies depression.

The spirit of despair is wreaking havoc on our population. Men, women and children all around the globe are struggling with thoughts of uncertainty, pointlessness, sadness and, worst of all, suicide.

This spirit is a heavy and aggressive one. It creeps into your mind like a silent predator and over time becomes bigger and bigger, often getting to a point where the spirit is greater than the circumstance. Things that once seemed small become monsters in our minds. Issues that were manageable become uncontrollable and daily matters that accompany life are suddenly too heavy to carry.