Daily Prompt Challenge – Searching for a Way Out

Searching for a Way Out-
Wrens in the Window

“Mom! Look!” Tanner called me to the kitchen.

“There are two birds at our window…”

“Wow, Look how beautiful they are!” I said as I walked toward the window. But as I moved closer, I realized that this beautiful little scene wasn’t so great for these birds.

We heard and witnessed the fluttering of wings of two birds frantically flying up and down and around the window. The birds weren’t just at the window, they were stuck IN between the window and the storm window screen and glass. Tanner then proceeded to point out that there was a third bird at the bottom of the window. I couldn’t see it and wasn’t convinced, but sure enough, we heard it and as the other two birds hopelessly attempted to fly in the very small space, the third bird emerged. Yikes.

There’s been a hole in the screen for some time. It turns out that the birds must have entered through the screen. One bird, then another, then another. They were all trapped. Stuck. Captive.

Frantic fluttering birds captive in a skinny glass box of sorts. Immobilized, stuck. They were initially fighting, fluttering, and frantic. But then they calmed down. The initial frantic attempt at freedom was replaced by complacent waiting. They didn’t know what to do, so they sat and waited. If someone didn’t make an effort to free them, they’d die in their captivity. There’s a small chance that they could again find the small hole and break free from this captivity, but it is highly doubtful. They desperately needed help.

I went and cut a large hole in the screen, and went back inside and knocked on the inside of the window to hopefully arouse them to fly for freedom. Frantically fluttering and attempting to find freedom would be a good thing right about now! But, sadly, only one tiny bird flew out. The others were still stuck down in the bottom of the window, complacent and still. I guess they felt as though they were safer down there than near the knocking on the window, but in reality, if they don’t fight for their freedom a bit right now, they’ll die. (Either that or my husband and I will need to remove the storm window and coax them out…which looks like it’s going to be the option…)

I was worried about these little birds. They were born to spread those wings and fly, not be stuck and confined to a small space only to die a short period of time later. Seeing them frantically fly in an attempt to once again find the freedom of the wide open spaces of the sky was so disturbing and moved me to quick action.

So here’s the thing. There are captives all over this great earth of ours, stuck in places where no human being should ever enter. There are boys and girls, women and men who are in captivity in the sex-trafficking world which spans the globe, and is as present in our American cities as overseas. Like these little birds, these human beings were meant to be free. They were not made to be abused and stuck and confined only to die emotional, mental, and even physical deaths in their prisons of captivity. I wonder how many initially fight frantically to be free, and then settle into the darkness of their world because of the futility of not being able to find a way out. Just like the little birds, they desperately need help to find a way out.

There is an organization that exists to help those imprisoned in the dark world of sex trafficking to find a way out. The Exodus Road (https://www.theexodusroad.com/) is “a nonprofit coalition that empowers freedom from sex slavery through covert investigation and rescue.” They search, sacrifice, plan, give, and put themselves on the line both physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially to ensure that there is hope for those who are in captivity in a world that is darker than most of us could ever imagine. To date, there have been 191 supported rescues! One hundred ninety one!! I was so excited when one little bird flew free. Amazing to think of 191 lives being rescued out of the dark confines of the emotional, mental, physical, and environmental prisons of the sex trafficking industry. Amazing.

For me, seeing how much I cared for these little birds was a little convicting. Am thinking I need to care so much more for those imprisoned in other ways, and I’m so thankful that The Exodus Road is there to offer a way that I can help be on the front lines without being on the front lines. This organization actively networks with other organizations and is seeking to efficiently and creatively find new ways to help set the captives free. Literally. People can donate equipment, time, money, and fund investigative teams. It is exciting to be a small part of such an incredibly big thing! Like I said, it was so exciting to see that bird fly free…and I can only imagine how it must be to look in the eyes of one who had been set free from entrapment in the dark underground world of the sex trade.

The little bird that was frantically fighting for its freedom is free. But it’s funny. It didn’t fly off. It flew right up to a tree just beyond our window and sat perched there. Maybe it will communicate in some way to those birds that they can find their way out. Maybe they will hear he bird singing on the outside and fight for their freedom too. (I sure hope so, because I don’t want to have to take off the storm window!) They each followed each other in, and hopefully, the one can be an example to lead the other two out.

And maybe, just maybe, those 191 and counting who are freed from the sex trafficking industry will be a testimony to those still stuck in captivity, that there IS hope. That they don’t have to become complacent in their conditions but can fight futility and actively hope and move towards freedom. It is so worth fighting for. That little bird was worth the effort. Each human being has value and is worth the fight.

I want to be a part of that more than ever, thanks to a little bird stuck in my window.

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26, New International Version

Amen. Yes, I would say so.

Here’s a link to donate to The Exodus Road.
https://www.theexodusroad.com/donate/

Blessings,
Heather

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/daily-prompt-searching/