It started as what was supposed to be a relaxing, restful day. I was finally redeeming the gift certificate for a massage my cheerleaders had given me the Christmas before and afterwards decided it was the perfect day to do some shopping. Actually cooking dinner seemed to be illogical given the rest of my day, so on the way home from the mall I decided to stop at Domino's and order a (gluten-free) pizza- extra cheese and mushroom. While I was sitting, waiting on my pizza to be ready, a tall, tattooed, white gentlemen in basketball shorts and a t-shirt walked in complaining about how difficult it was to find the place. As soon as he walked in the door, I felt sick to my core. He put in his pizza orders and sat down next to me. On most occasions I would offer a friendly hello and start a light conversation, but it was as if God wouldn't let me engage in conversation with this particular man for some reason. That reason would soon make itself clear and he, instead, began conversing with me. He started off the conversation with, "So what do you do for fun around here? I've lived here for four months and there's nothing fun to do."
I instinctively knew that the type of "fun" he was insinuating and what I consider fun were two completely different things and again, the feeling of discreet disclosure of my personal life spoke loud and clear into my spirit. I cautiously responded that I'm in grad school and don't usually have much time for things. He again mentioned something about being new to the area so I asked if he had moved here for work. The boldness with which he uttered his next words didn't so much shock me, as anger me. "I traveled around with the 'family business'- getting girls to work for Platinum Plus." I knew too well that Platinum Plus was a local strip club, as well as a chain across the country. He was essentially telling me with the utmost cockiness and boldness that he was for all intensive purposes a pimp. He went on to comment that he's never had to work a day in his life and that his involvement in the "family business" as he kept referring to it kept him independently wealthy. If he was trying to impress me it wasn't working. Especially when he interjected, "You have such a beautiful eyes" into his gloating about hiring strippers and how difficult it was "taking care of women". Thankfully my pizza was ready at that moment because it was only the Holy Spirit holding me back from punching him in the throat and informing him that my life's pursuit is to put men like him out of business and help reverse the damage scumbags like him do.
After discussing the encounter with my bosses at the Refuge they confirmed that God had placed me there at that exact time for a purpose. If only to confirm my anointing ministering to industry women. I know for sure that this experience opened my eyes to a new side of the industry, one that I know will be much harder for me to give grace to. I could feel God's protection so deeply during that short period of time, protecting me from saying or doing anything that would put myself or the women I minister to in jeopardy. Since that day, I've been wrestling with seeing these individuals as victims, but I know that Ephesians 6:12 still rings true for them as well. Talking with a friend about it, she enlightened me to another possibility that I hope is a reality for me being there that day, "Maybe God put YOU there so that someone else- someone who would have actually fallen prey to his tricks- wasn't." If that's the case, I hope to have many more encounters like this if only to show guys like him that not all women are vulnerable to their games.
I instinctively knew that the type of "fun" he was insinuating and what I consider fun were two completely different things and again, the feeling of discreet disclosure of my personal life spoke loud and clear into my spirit. I cautiously responded that I'm in grad school and don't usually have much time for things. He again mentioned something about being new to the area so I asked if he had moved here for work. The boldness with which he uttered his next words didn't so much shock me, as anger me. "I traveled around with the 'family business'- getting girls to work for Platinum Plus." I knew too well that Platinum Plus was a local strip club, as well as a chain across the country. He was essentially telling me with the utmost cockiness and boldness that he was for all intensive purposes a pimp. He went on to comment that he's never had to work a day in his life and that his involvement in the "family business" as he kept referring to it kept him independently wealthy. If he was trying to impress me it wasn't working. Especially when he interjected, "You have such a beautiful eyes" into his gloating about hiring strippers and how difficult it was "taking care of women". Thankfully my pizza was ready at that moment because it was only the Holy Spirit holding me back from punching him in the throat and informing him that my life's pursuit is to put men like him out of business and help reverse the damage scumbags like him do.
After discussing the encounter with my bosses at the Refuge they confirmed that God had placed me there at that exact time for a purpose. If only to confirm my anointing ministering to industry women. I know for sure that this experience opened my eyes to a new side of the industry, one that I know will be much harder for me to give grace to. I could feel God's protection so deeply during that short period of time, protecting me from saying or doing anything that would put myself or the women I minister to in jeopardy. Since that day, I've been wrestling with seeing these individuals as victims, but I know that Ephesians 6:12 still rings true for them as well. Talking with a friend about it, she enlightened me to another possibility that I hope is a reality for me being there that day, "Maybe God put YOU there so that someone else- someone who would have actually fallen prey to his tricks- wasn't." If that's the case, I hope to have many more encounters like this if only to show guys like him that not all women are vulnerable to their games.
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