"I grew up knowing Bible stories but feeling as if they were stories and not truth. I never thought about the character of God. I didn't understand the heart of the Lord.
"As I grew older, I noticed hypocrisy within the church. I had friendships with Christians who seemed to not be following the Lord with their choices and actions, and it really confused me. I felt deterred by the perceived hypocrisy of Christianity, not understanding that the Lord came for sinners.
"In my twenties, I was pretty passive. I knew there was probably a God, but I didn't care to invest time or energy figuring it out. I did whatever I felt would make me happy, but over time it felt empty. I started feeling my heart harden and become more jaded.
"I hit rock bottom even though I was generally doing well in life. I tried many things in the world, had many friends, and had a job that made good money, but nothing really made me happy.
"In 2013, I made a New Year's resolution that I was going to start attending church. Honestly, it felt like a last resort. I had scratched it off my list of options to bring me happiness almost a decade ago, but I decided to try again. I remember thinking, ‘What if I got it wrong back then when I wrote off Christianity?’
"A few months prior, some friends had casually invited me and my boyfriend to their church, so I decided that I’d tag along. I remember telling my boyfriend, 'I've decided that I’m going to church every Sunday for two months. So, I might have to leave the bar early to wake up on Sunday, and I need your support with that. This is your standing invite.’ He was respectful but not too excited.
"He decided to come along, and a few weeks later, the Lord quickly started changing our hearts. The Lord has always used miracles to build my faith (I guess I require a lot!). I witnessed my boyfriend's miraculous transformation, which really gave me faith that God is real.
"We ended up getting engaged six months later, and it's so funny to look back now and think, if we didn't have Jesus, our lives would look so different! We became completely different people because of the Lord's intervention.
“Before I was a believer, I learned about sex trafficking in the United States and around the world. My mind was blown. I couldn’t believe that modern-day slavery existed. While I tried to get involved in the cause for several years, nothing ever came to fruition. For many years, it felt like I was pushing on a door, and it kept closing on me.
"Once my husband and I moved to Dallas, we started going to Watermark, were baptized, and joined a Foundation Group. As my faith grew, my passion for fighting sex trafficking remained. I couldn't understand why I was trying to do something good, and it felt like God didn't want me to be a part of it. I couldn’t understand why I had such a strong call without being able to act on it.
"Looking back now, I see that this seed was planted in my heart before I allowed Jesus to flourish in my heart. I needed to learn that I wasn't going to save anyone—The Lord wanted me to learn of his saving power. Until I knew that fully for myself, how could I be impactful to others?
"I feel God was protecting me through those closed doors because I think fighting the darkness of sex trafficking without a full surrender and hope in Jesus would have been a burden that crushed me. He is the only one who rescues.
“Eventually, our group walked together through Roots, a study hosted by Reclaimed, Watermark’s anti-sex trafficking ministry. The Lord finally set me up with the proper tools, Scripture, and community to know how to fight trafficking with the Rescuer in the forefront.
"Now, seven years later, God has taught me so much through serving in this capacity. It’s been completely life-changing. It’s impossible to articulate it all, but simply, he has shown me that he truly listens to our prayers. He's not just sitting in heaven looking down; he's truly in the weeds with us and in control. I love watching God miraculously transform the lives of the women we serve—and those who serve them!
"He's waiting for us to see that he can provide joy and sustain us, even when it is really hard. Some people may think fighting sex trafficking is too heavy or too big, but they have no idea the joy and beauty it is to be a part of pushing back the darkness in this way. God's light shines so much brighter in the darkness! The power of the Lord is just mind-blowing. To be even used in a small way is such a privilege.
"We do risk our hearts being broken in this way of serving, but I trust God will mend it. There are so many hard things when it comes to fighting trafficking, but the Lord doesn't call us to always live within our comfort zone.
"If you feel passionate about or called to fight sex trafficking, do something. Praying and educating yourself is always the best first step. Starting with the Roots equipping course is the perfect introduction and a safe space to process with others. Human trafficking is very multi-faceted. The good thing about that is that anyone can do something to make an impact, no matter how you are gifted."
Learn more about the ways members at Watermark are fighting sex trafficking and how you can get involved.