When you think of the horrors of sex-trafficking, you can’t help but ask yourself, “Where Was God? How can He allow something like this to happen?”

In this episode of Longing for More, the follow up to session 116: The Evil in Our Own Backyard, we talk to former victim of sex trafficking, Kelly Patterson, and ask her just that.

Her answer will surprise and inspire you. Listen as Kelly shares her personal story of how God protected her during her years of trafficking and how she is using the experience to help others understand one of the worst epidemics devastating our world today.

Main Points From the Show

In this conversation with Kelly Patterson, author of the book, From Trafficked to Treasured, she shares her personal experience of being groomed as a child for being trafficked in a ring in the midwest.  Her indoctrination began at about the age of four and continued until she was in her early 20s. 

She shares how she was saved in her teens and was angry at God for a time because that didn’t prevent her from being subjected to further incidents with the ring. She shares her anger at God and how she challenged Him for not protecting her. 

She shares her powerful story of how God told her how much He loved her because she couldn’t believe that He did even though she knew in her head that He’d died for her sins.  That one experience “changed her life in every possible way.”

We discussed how it is important that we bring children to God and help them learn about Jesus at the earliest possible age so they will have that foundation to carry them through any possible challenges in their lives. 

She shared how important it is we teach our children the good touch, bad touch principles because they need to know that no matter who it is that is touching them, they have the right to say no. If we don’t prepare them for that at a very young age, they have no defense.

Scriptures or Quotes from the Show

“What you meant for evil, God has used for good, that the lives of many will be saved.” Genesis 50:20

Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear – Kelly

There is always someone who has gone before you and always someone to help you through it. – Kelly

All praises belong to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the Father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial. We can bring them this same comfort that God has poured out upon us. And just as we experience the abundance of Christ’s own sufferings,[b] even more of God’s comfort will cascade upon us through our union with Christ.

If troubles weigh us down, that just means that we will receive even more comfort to pass on to you for your deliverance! For the comfort pouring into us empowers us to bring comfort to you. And with this comfort upholding you, you can endure victoriously the same suffering that we experience. Now our hope for you is unshakable because we know that just as you share in our sufferings you will also share in God’s comforting strength. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Resources

Be sure to listen to more of Kelly’s story in the previous episode, The Evil in Our Own Backyard, here.

Connect with Kelly at treasuredlives.net

Connect with Kelly on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/lifetreasures7/

Kelly’s Book can be found in various places. Here is the link to it on Amazon.