Lambs & Wolves

The Vigilance of Love: A Reflection for Those Protecting the Vulnerable

When I turned sixteen, I learned that the world is not always kind to lambs. I remember walking home in tears after an argument with my father, thinking I was just another teenager who had it all figured out. But in that moment of vulnerability, I met a man at a gas station who seemed familiar, simply because I’d seen him before. He offered me a ride "to talk about it", and I got in the car trusting in the familiarity. But he drove me in the opposite direction, and I found myself facing a danger in a cemetery, I never imagined I’d encounter.

God intervened that day in the middle of something that could have gone terribly wrong. I got away badly shaken, but not untouched — because harm doesn’t only come through physical injury. There are wounds of fear, confusion, violation, and the shattering of innocence that leave their own marks.

I was so afraid of all the moving parts — what had almost happened, what it meant about the world, what it meant about me, and how one word might blow my teenage world apart — that I kept it to myself for over two years. Silence felt safer than speaking.

Honestly, I wish I had told someone. Things kept inside us in the dark, cause a harm of their own.

And although the man disappeared from my life, the lesson did not: we cannot walk this world unaware of the wolves hidden among us. Vulnerable kids, teens, & even adults rarely recognize danger until it is already unfolding. That is why communities must stay awake, educated, and willing to protect.

Now, as we serve those impacted by human trafficking, I hold that experience close. It’s a reminder that the vulnerable often don’t recognize the danger until it’s upon them. And that’s where we — as a community of protectors — must step in.

David said: "No one cares for my soul." Psalm 142:4

JESUS says we are to care for our "Neighbor" Matthew 22:39

And that laying down our lives for another is the "Greatest Gift" John 15:13

Let us be the ones who pay attention, who educate ourselves on the realities of trafficking, who know the signs and stand ready to defend and protect. Let us be the shepherds who guide the lambs safely home and who confront the wolves with wisdom and courage.

It takes a village. And it takes a heart attuned to both compassion and vigilance. Let us both BE and TEACH the next generation to care for the SOULS of EVERYONE.

River@ The Refuge of Peace Justice & Advocacy Center

RIVER

https://www.therefugeofpeace.org/