In an interview about Wings recently, I was asked what the most fulfilling part of my job was. I sat with the question for a moment before the answer trickled into my thoughts and painted a smile across my face: “Being a part of another’s freedom.”
There is an unquestionable darkness that is attached to the issue of sex trafficking and those stories can haunt us and keep us up at night, but more than that, I hope they call us to action.
I still remember my own season of darkness – I’d invite you to consider yours too. That probably looks different for each one of us, and yet there’s a shared experience – some form of distress, a lack of freedom, something that propelled us to call out to the Lord. As I meditated on that theme in Psalm 118, the next line jumped out to me, “the Lord answered me and set me free.”
Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. - Psalm 118:5
When I was early in my faith walk, I used to think the Lord’s answer would always be some spiritually mysterious phenomenon. I didn’t realize yet that sometimes the Lord answers through us – we, or more accurately Jesus working through us, are sometimes the tangible answer to someone else’s prayer. I think about the people the Lord used to answer me. That is the beautiful reality – we can be a part of God’s redemption story. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed by the injustice of 27 million people being exploited in our world – sex trafficking ends when you support survivors at Wings of Refuge. We get to be a part of another’s freedom.
Perhaps that leads me to the second most fulfilling part of my job, and that is YOU! As I’ve stepped into my role as the new Development Director at Wings, I’ve had the opportunity to begin meeting with our generous givers, church partners, and volunteers. Getting to know you, hearing your stories, and witnessing your generosity has been a huge encouragement. I find myself coming home each evening and excitedly giving the rundown to my husband. A few nights ago, he made the following observation, “Your job is rewarding not only because of the meaningful work, but also because you continually get to meet with incredible people.” To our Wings of Refuge community, YOU are those people. Thank you for prayers, support, and service. Thank you for being a part of another’s freedom.
By: Brandy Young, Development Director
