4/28/24
Hello mortal angel!
Do you ever think about the plans you’ve held in your heart for a long time and realize that maybe they are coming to fruition after all, in spite of yourself?
We’ll get back to that after a couple paragraphs though because first I need to give a shout out to God! There are several areas in life lately where He’s shakily rebuilding hope (a couple of which have been written about recently), and He’s come through in a big way a couple of times this past week or so . . .
My dog, Cooper, was pretty sick. He was unable to stand for more than few seconds and would literally crash to the ground. He also vomited, etc.
Took him to the vet and she said, “Oh, it’s just arthritis, nothing to worry about” but it wasn’t ‘just arthritis’. So I contacted a couple of my prayer circles who know and love him, too.
It was so faith strengthening when after not being capable of doing something that he would all of a sudden be able to. The thought: ‘someone just prayed for him’ would pop up, then a friend would text and say they had!
It was such a gift to see God’s work in action. Had been wondering if I’d have to make that godawful end of life decision, but for a reason only He knows, He spared Cooper’s life. Thank You, God!
The second obvious God moment came when I laid my phone on the hood of the car (never did that before and hope I learned my lesson this time! Yikes!)) and forgot about it until I drove a couple of miles to a park. Was freaking out a tad (a tad?? More like 😱! :)) because I doubted it would have survived being blown off the vehicle in traffic.
But that inner, quiet voice of Spirit whispered into my heart, “Get out of the car and look at where you left it,” so I did. And thank You AGAIN, God, it was still sitting on the hood right where I left it!
Whew! Not sure why there were two such obvious God/angel interventions so close together, but not gonna argue about it! 🙂
Now back to the initial reason for this post . . .
A previously hidden prayer of mine might actually be coming to fruition in a way that is vastly different than originally envisioned.
Ever since the onset of this healing journey from child sex trafficking, child sexually abusive material, etc., I’ve believed that someday I would turn what people meant for evil into good by speaking up and against it.
These last several years have been hoping what I’m doing would help other survivors know they’re not alone and they do deserve to do all it takes to heal and live an amazing, fulfilling life filled with love and purpose. (I’m gettin’ there, and claiming it, hallelujah!)
Also thought by writing about what I’m experiencing, thinking and doing on my own journey could lead survivors to consider various ways they could help heal their self and to learn asking for assistance is nothing to be ashamed of; all the shame belongs on the perpetrators and those who protect them.
There’s also an ulterior motive that this aids those who care about us to better understand, and help heal us, if they’re so inclined. (Can only hope . . . )
Aside from these goals there’s always been another much more involved, detailed, and beautiful dream I’ve held in my heart for many years that I’ve never talked about much and not sure if I’ve written about it before now.
When I mentioned it to a therapist or two I would preface it with: “Don’t know that this could all be accomplished in my life time“ and they would respond, “It’s a good thing you don’t expect that,” once they heard all of it.
(But I still hold a sliver of faith; I mean who knows? Maybe I could befriend Warren Buffett, Oprah, Bono, and other philanthropists with huge hearts and coffers and the right connections, right??? Juuuust agree with me here :))
Now-a-days I don’t think it’d be so bad if it was built up over the course of several generations. There are such good people who support Unchained that I’m starting to believe others could see the wonder and possibility of it and continue the work long after I’m gone.
The vision is:
Our group would own at least five hundred acres. There would be various gardens and several ponds for water fowl, fishing/recreation, etc.
One phase of this project would entail various animal rescues. So, say, there’d be five acres for cats with several buildings for them and a house for the manager to live in. Same concept for rabbits and other small animals.
Dogs would get ten acres per ‘type’. One could be for bullies, another for herding dogs, a hospice for older and ailing dogs, etc. Again, each rescue would have a manager (or two) who lives there, knows their breeds well so would know bow to best work with them and what kind of environment to adopt a dog out to. (i.e. high energy dogs should not go into apartments if they won’t get the exercise they need in other ways, etc.)
Dragons would have their own moat and forest ;).
Equine and farm animals could each get one hundred acres, and so on.
The rescues would be autonomous, and we’d all be there to support, learn from, and look out for each other.
Another phase would be a couple of elder care facilities for people who genuinely cannot afford to get into a different, decent place.
One of the facilities would be for people who are ambulatory and can help with the gardens and/or animals or whatever the person would like to do.
The other would be more for memory care and those unable to get around much. They could help with socializing the animals by us bringing the critters to them to love on.
The next aspect of this vision is for fostered children who are aging out of the system. They could have a safe place to stay and earn some money for a year or two as they learn how to navigate the world and gain some work experience. They, too, could help out with animals, house or grounds keeping, business, etc., depending on what they’d be a best fit for. And I’d love it if they would work with the elderly so the elderly could see the younger generation are NOT of satan, and the kids would see how much older folk have to offer with mentorship, tutoring or just (?) loving well.
There could be a separate area for children and adults with special needs whose caretakers could use a respite. They could stay for a couple of hours or up to several days so their guardians can have some time for their self.
And OF COURSE, there’d have to be a haven for survivors coming out of trafficking/horrific situations. We’d have mental health professionals living on site so there would always be someone safe on hand to help when things get too overwhelming or scary for anyone.
There’d be a little chapel somewhere on the property, a gym, pool, playground, and a massage therapist (or 50 :)) coming by several days a week to give everyone a chance to heal their bodies as well as spirits.
Wouldn’t that be awesome?
And yes, I can hear all the negative comments people could make about the feasibility of this, and I don’t care! There’s always a way to work something out in a legitimate way if you’re doing it for the right reasons, and, in MY perspective, if we have faith in a God who is bigger than any and all obstacles or naysayers (including the self at times!).
What’s so cool is, I’m realizing this stuff is already happening in my life in a disjointed, much smaller kind of way.
“Pearl Unchained” is in the process of becoming a nonprofit organization. We’ve been giving talks for a couple of years now, and over the next few months we’re having a couple of larger events that will help raise funds to branch out a little. (Will write more about these events over time.)
We work with other organizations so we can promote, support and learn from each other.
One of the things we’ve talked about doing is to help defray the costs of survivors of trafficking (and other horrors) get a service animal and other help they deserve.
Service dogs usually cost about $35,000 and insurance doesn’t help with costs for nonmilitary people who have PTSD. I’d like to learn, or help a survivor who’s getting a dog to learn, how to pick and train the right type of dogs found in animal shelters for this purpose.
The survivor could earn a decent living with this skill and we could provide more dogs for others at a lower cost since we’d be doing the work. AND the former shelter dogs would be rescued and have a wonderful chance at a life helping to heal others!
It’s a win – win – win situation!
Through another group in my life, I help organize events to celebrate the elderly as well as a day of fun for children with down’s syndrome and their families.
I just kinda started wondering if these activities are the dream coming to fruition in a much smaller but more easily managed way than originally imagined, and/or they’re seeds of the various parts of the original vision. Some (or all?) may grow deep roots, sprout strong and keep growing with faith, work and good intentions.
We’ll see. (And hope!)
What about you? Has there ever been some secret plan you held in your heart that only God and maybe one or two others know about? And could it possibly be coming alive without you realizing it because it’s showing up different than you imagined it would? Or the seeds of it are germinating but you haven’t seen it yet because you weren’t expecting it so you haven’t been looking for it?
Maybe it’s time to revisit that forgotten secret dream. You could be surprised at what’s going on in your life now that’s leading you towards it!
Dear Heavenly Omni-everything-including-and-especially-LOVE Abba/God/Daddy ~
Thank You for planting seeds of dreams in our hearts that You know we’d love to attain. Help us to remember what they are, why You entrusted us with them, and to grow the faith in You and ourselves that’ll help us to reach them in ways we may not yet have imagined or figured out.
Help us to see and receive, at the right times, the people and opportunities you are placing in our lives that are healing, encouraging, guiding us, and give us true purpose if we allow them to. Have us fully understand, dear Jesus, with You we CAN, and we ARE worthy of fulfilling lives filled with love, purpose, peace and joy.
Also, dear God, PLEASE help us to know what dreams are just wishful-without-hope thinking. Give us wisdom to wait in faith for guidance and Your timing for who and what YOU have for us, because what is of You is worth waiting for and more precious, beautiful, and fulfilling than what we may grasp at in ignorance, desperation, control, arrogance or ‘settling for’. Keep reminding us that everybody has their own right to participate in our lives to the degree and ways they may or may not want to, and it’s not up to us to dictate others lives to our specifications. Give us the ability to KNOW and gracefully let go of what isn’t of You, having faith we’ll survive if it hurts because You’ll hold and sustain us in the pain, too, if we let You.
So keep reminding us that no matter what, we do have what it takes to face and learn from mis-takes and poor judgement AS WELL AS receive and work with all the wonderful love, blessings and purposes You have for us.
In Jesus name,
AMEN!
This week’s song is a great encouragement for any of us who are wondering who and what is for us. Kerry Livgren of Kansas wrote “Hold On” as a love letter to his wife, who hadn’t yet understood who Jesus could be for her, and all He (as well as Kerry?) has for her.
