We all experience a formative age that shapes our reality. For me, that was age ten. At ten, I was immersed in the joys of childhood—a proud member of Mary-Kate and Ashley’s Fun Club, an owner of an impressive collection of Beanie Babies, and a frequent reciter of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Life was full of awe and wonder, simple joys and opportunities.
Yet, ten years old also marked a moment of profound awareness.
Ten years old.
That’s how old I was when I saw my first Feed the Children infomercial. I remember feeling deeply shaken and outraged by the realization that children in other parts of the world were experiencing poverty, homelessness, and other life-threatening circumstances—a reality that I couldn’t fully comprehend, but believed no one should experience.
Ten years old.
That’s how old a young Ugandan girl named Prossy Acayo was when she had her childhood stolen from her. She was abducted and forced to become a child soldier in the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Ten years old. We were the same age . . . yet worlds apart.
In her book, Return to Dignity, Marilynn Skinner, founder of Watoto Church, shares the powerful testimonies of eight Ugandan women, including Prossy’s, who come to know Jesus amidst life’s darkest trials. She shares their hopes and broken dreams, their disappointments and rejections . . . their loss of dignity . . . and the transformational power of accepting Christ into their lives.
Prossy’s journey is particularly poignant. She endures eight years of captivity and unspeakable suffering, forced to practice the abusive ways of the Lord’s Resistance Army while simultaneously being a victim herself. She eventually escapes and is taken into protective custody by the United Nations who helps to reunite her with the few relatives she has remaining. Despite being reunited with them, she still feels lifeless. Worthless. Rejected.
She is taken in by a woman who worked at World Vision before connecting with Watoto Neighbourhood, formerly known as the Living Hope Center. This is where she finds Jesus, a new identity and purpose for living, a community of women who support her on her journey towards healing and wholeness, and the acceptance and forgiveness of a Heavenly Father who welcomes and heals the deepest, darkest pains within her soul.
Prossy’s story is the first of many in Skinner’s book. It serves as a powerful reminder that even in the midst of our darkness, there is hope and redemption through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
We serve a God who sees the depths of our hearts, the pain we endure, and the struggles we face. And rather than casting us aside because of our past, He draws us closer and chooses to love and accept us just as we are. He understands the circumstances that led to our decisions and the pain we have experienced, and He stands ready to forgive us, cleanse us, and restore us.
It’s a miracle that, despite being worlds apart, we all have access to the awe and wonder of His love, the simple joys of His peace, and the profound awareness of His grace and mercy as He brings us to restoration.
Shannon
. . . You’ll get a brand new name straight from the mouth of God. You’ll be a stunning crown in the palm of God’s hand . . . No more will anyone call you rejected . . . You’ll be called My Delight. – Isaiah 62:2
I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. – Isaiah 46:4
