She was seventeen when she met the man of her dreams... or so she thought. He was handsome and independent, and he offered her something that was appealing: freedom. She was shy and innocent when she first met him, but she quickly found herself adapting to his expectations. Soon after they met, they were married... and in the 1970s, wives couldn't testify against their husbands. She was forced into the porn industry by her own spouse, and she was referred to in the media as "the face of the sexual revolution." Her film brought in over 300 million dollars; however, she never saw a penny of it. She was beat, sold, raped and dehumanized over and over again. To the outside world, she appeared to be happy and content with her vocation; but six years later, she came out with the truth of what happened to her. She was married to her oppressor for three years. In terms of marriage, three years doesn't sound long, but in terms of captivity, it might as well have been a lifetime. She tried to escape 4 times, only to be returned to her captor by her mother, her friends, and even the police. Because of her fame in the industry, her story wasn't taken seriously. The media didn't believe her, the police didn't believe her.... women didn't believe her. Guns were put to her head when she refused to comply. She was exploited in front of millions, and still the world lined up to see for themselves. She was a prisoner in her own home. I want you to understand the weight of her story.
Because the truth is, her story deserves an audience. Her story is the story of millions of women around the globe. Millions of women are held captive by their husbands, or pimps, or circumstances. Because of their "choice" of work, they are ignored and discarded. These women are walking among us, and we do not even see them. We don't hear their cry for help, because their voices are muted.
The question is often, "why don't they just leave...?" In Oklahoma, 95% of women who are killed by men are killed in their attempt to escape. If they leave, they are risking their lives; if they stay, they are risking their lives. This is a disgusting reality, but it's currently the world we live in... we have to do something about this. We have to be the ones who stand up on their behalf.
Her life is valuable, simply because she was created perfectly by the Almighty God. He created her and envisioned a life of beauty and abundance. Even if no one else saw it, she was precious to Him. Nothing that she did, and nothing that was done to her was too much for Jesus. He loved her... He loved her.
Her story deserves an audience, not only because of what she's endured, but because she's a human being. You, too, have a story; and you, too, deserve an audience. No matter where you're at, your story matters. What has happened to you in the past, does not define where your life is headed. The cool thing about hope is that it's the belief that there's something better ahead. My friend Ali says, "hope is born in the darkness and spends a lot of it's life being the only light in the room." The truth is we live in a heavy world, and most times it seems to be filled with despair, but even on those days, even in those minutes, hope remains.
It's just like to Jesus to take the rotten and turn it into gold. He took all those things that you've endured on the cross, and then He proclaimed, "it's finished." That's the hope. Yes, there's darkness, but the darkness will never overcome the light.
Find a safe place and don't be afraid to speak up - because I promise, someone is waiting to stand with you. You deserve to be known, and when you speak up the chains of captivity loosen. Your life matters. It doesn't end in the darkness... light remains, and your story deserves and audience.
Because the truth is, her story deserves an audience. Her story is the story of millions of women around the globe. Millions of women are held captive by their husbands, or pimps, or circumstances. Because of their "choice" of work, they are ignored and discarded. These women are walking among us, and we do not even see them. We don't hear their cry for help, because their voices are muted.
The question is often, "why don't they just leave...?" In Oklahoma, 95% of women who are killed by men are killed in their attempt to escape. If they leave, they are risking their lives; if they stay, they are risking their lives. This is a disgusting reality, but it's currently the world we live in... we have to do something about this. We have to be the ones who stand up on their behalf.
Her life is valuable, simply because she was created perfectly by the Almighty God. He created her and envisioned a life of beauty and abundance. Even if no one else saw it, she was precious to Him. Nothing that she did, and nothing that was done to her was too much for Jesus. He loved her... He loved her.
Her story deserves an audience, not only because of what she's endured, but because she's a human being. You, too, have a story; and you, too, deserve an audience. No matter where you're at, your story matters. What has happened to you in the past, does not define where your life is headed. The cool thing about hope is that it's the belief that there's something better ahead. My friend Ali says, "hope is born in the darkness and spends a lot of it's life being the only light in the room." The truth is we live in a heavy world, and most times it seems to be filled with despair, but even on those days, even in those minutes, hope remains.
It's just like to Jesus to take the rotten and turn it into gold. He took all those things that you've endured on the cross, and then He proclaimed, "it's finished." That's the hope. Yes, there's darkness, but the darkness will never overcome the light.
Find a safe place and don't be afraid to speak up - because I promise, someone is waiting to stand with you. You deserve to be known, and when you speak up the chains of captivity loosen. Your life matters. It doesn't end in the darkness... light remains, and your story deserves and audience.
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