Amy, ((((((((((((((big hug)))))))))))))))) Men really don't know anything about what it is like for a single woman on this planet, in this society, and from Alabama ... well. Not a clue. Unless they have been raped once or twice themselves. Unless they are mashed and ogled and sniffed at and drooled over every day since age 12. They don't realize what it is to be "the weaker sex" physically, to be strong-armed and pushed around by men who think it's their job to intimidate women into obedience.
Yup. It's the middle of winter. It's cold outside. Laying a trap for a woman to pay up or put out is no different than trapping foxes for their hides. They have laws against it, but outlaws still do it. And for a woman to take a man to court for violations of the most basic moral codes is tantamont to getting a good guffaw going in the back room. Even a woman who has been brutally raped is often reluctant to go to court because of the abuses they, as victims, must endure at the hands of such anuses.
I pray for a number of things in this situation. I pray Amy does not despair. I pray her spirits hold up enough to not call attention to herself but to endure. I pray distractions occur in the life of the perp such that he doesn't have time or energy to pester her. I pray her guardian angels will watch over her and protect her from harm -- real or imagined -- and I pray the midwayers manipulate the environment such that she does not go hungry, that nothing breaks, that the car continues to start, that the job (as paltry as it is) continues to serve, even that perhaps more hours will be added, or out of the blue she will be given a tip or a lead on another job opportuntity, maybe one in addition to the one she's already thankful to have so that she has TWO jobs, even three, to pull her resources together so she can escape from the destitution and humiliation that faces her there. I pray she remember to call on the Father for his guidance and protection, to the Mother Spirit for nurturance and ministry to her battered spirit, to Christ Michael for the peace which passes all understanding, even in this most wretched circumstance. I pray for friends -- male as well as female -- to come out of the woodwork to assist her in carrying her burdens. I pray for her laughter, and joy, and well-being. And I pray for springtime to come quickly ... in her heart and in her trailer space. And while I am at it, I am praying that all men come to cherish all women, not just as playthings, but as valuable companions and helpmates as well as soulmates on this rugged journey.
_________________ Gerdean O'Dell Author: "Secrets of Promise"
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