Thoughts on the Beach

The other day I was at the beach in Pattaya with Pin and Pu (having a yummy papaya salad picnic). I saw a man moving across the sand on his belly, using his arms to push him. At first, I was confused as to why he was doing this. Then I noticed that he only had one leg. This got me thinking how sometimes we may see someone do something that seems unwise, crazy, weird, or even sinful. There may, however, be a justifiable reason for their choices. There may be something underneath the surface that is causing them to act this way. It is not our job to judge, especially when we don’t know the whole story. It is our job to show them love, to find out the reasons behind their behavior, and to help them make choices that will better their lives and ultimately lead them to Jesus.

At the same beach, I also saw many girls who were prostituting themselves. Yes, for many of them, this may be a “choice”. They may have made a conscious decision to sell their bodies for money. There may, however, be legitimate reasons that are driving them to make this choice. Maybe they have no other options for an income. Maybe they are seeking love that they have never received in their lives. Maybe they feel so broken that they don’t have any hope of earning an income with dignity. It is not my job to judge. Judging doesn’t help anyone. It is my job to love them. It is my job to help them make decisions that will not hurt themselves physically and emotionally. I don’t know what that looks like when I live in the United States, where I don’t come into contact with prostitutes on a daily basis. I know that it means to pray. I know that it means to give money to organizations that help rescue and redeem former prostitutes and victims of sex trafficking. I know that more needs to be done, and I want to be a part of that.