Rescued
I recently mentioned that I was reading a novel called, “Local Woman Missing.” If you’re planning on reading it, then don’t read this post because it will spoil it for you! This isn’t a book review; however, I can’t pass up sharing something that was revealed to me!
I told you before that this young girl was kept in a basement and treated worse than a dog. There wasn’t any light. She lived in complete darkness. Food was placed at the top of the steps in a dog bowl. She only had one set of clothes. The thing I didn’t know at the time was that she had to live this way (if you want to call that living) for around 10 years.
When she was finally rescued (after escaping on her own), she returned to what she thought was her original home. Her dad gave her everything she needed. Clothes. Delicious food. Love. A comfortable bed. Can you imagine sleeping on a basement floor for 10 years? I can hardly sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor of a tent for one night!
This is what happened in the beginning when she returned home. When her younger brother was checking in on her to say good night before he went to bed, she was nowhere to be found. He and his dad searched the house. Wouldn’t you know, she ended up going to their basement to sleep in the darkness and on the floor – the hard surface she was used to for all those years. Although the bed was obviously better for her, she just wasn’t ready for that change.
Listen, I know this isn’t a true story. However, it made me think about how impatient we are with people who are coming from a dark place. When they’ve lived a certain way for such a long time, we can’t expect them to change overnight — even when a better life is right there for them to experience.
I know it’s hard for most of us to understand, but if you’re trying to help someone who seems to be dragging their feet with change, don’t give up on them! What this novel misses out on are words of encouragement. Here it is: What ‘we’ can’t do – God can.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20
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