Sweet dreams, Mia

After my book is wildly successful, I think I may write a children’s bedtime story. It will be a book that helps Western children learn about other children all over the world. It will be colorful and inviting and will use words like kidnap and rape and sex slaves and beatings and lynched and bullets and child militia. Parents may have to explain a few things.

I got up this morning and read this article entitled, “Kids’ lives are nightmares in unstable nations, UNICEF reports.” Please do not say one word about the liberal media, because if only half of this article is true, Christians should weep. The reality of human trafficking has made my heart so distressed today. Just imagine if someone really did use those words in a bedtime story for our children, we would be outraged and worry about them having bad dreams. Yet for some children, it is their REAL LIFE.

I am once again challenged by my privilege and the things that I spend my time thinking about. Years ago, the church staff that I was a part of was encouraged to read leadership books, and I distinctly remember one saying, “Leadership is simply exercising influence.” I am profoundly moved to consider how I exercise my influence, how the church exercises her influence and how my nation exercises its influence. Jesus deeply cares about these children. Do I?

I imagine reading such a bedtime story to my daughter and having her look up at me afterwards and say, “Mommy? Why aren’t grown-ups helping these kids?” And I realize that the thing that I have to explain is me.