Psalm 109:21-31
Be true to your name, LORD God! Show your great kindness and rescue me. I am poor and helpless, and I have lost all hope. I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am tossed aside like a crawling insect. I have gone without eating, until my knees are weak, and my body is bony. When my enemies see me, they say cruel things and shake their heads.
Please help me, LORD God! Come and save me because of your love. Let others know that you alone have saved me. I don't care if they curse me, as long as you bless me. You will make my enemies fail when they attack, and you will make me glad to be your servant. You will cover them with shame, just as their bodies are covered with clothes. I will sing your praises and thank you, LORD, when your people meet. You help everyone in need, and you defend them when they are on trial.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I watched an episode of “Oprah” recently about a young man in Indiana named Clayton, who was locked in a 2-ft by 2-ft closet, wrapped in wire fencing material and bound with chains. Sometimes he wasn’t fed for days. Clayton was only six years old when this happened. His abusers were his own mother and stepfather. They did unbelievably cruel, horrible things to this child. Police estimate this went on for three to six months.
Clayton’s 14-year-old stepsister was kind to him. When the parents would leave, she would sometimes let him out of the closet, feed him and rub lotion on his body wounds caused by the fencing and chains. At some point, the stepsister ran away to Kentucky, and when police found her, she told them everything. An astute policeman contacted the parents and told them he had their daughter, but they must come and get her. He was hoping they would bring Clayton. They did… and the officer insisted on speaking with him privately. It was a hunch – one that paid off.
The officer in Kentucky really had no jurisdiction over a matter in Indiana. But he sat Clayton on his lap and fed him peanut butter and crackers. He said later to Clayton, “You ate a lot of peanut butter and crackers!” He realized quickly that Clayton loved his stepdad, in spite of the abuse… and even blamed himself for some of it. So the policeman said, “Your father wants you to tell me exactly what has happened.” Clayton replied, “He does?” The policeman does not regret the “white lie.” It worked. Clayton confirmed his stepsister’s story.
Clayton is now 18 years old. Since the rescue 12 years ago, he has been reared by a great-aunt, Patti, and her husband. The couple adopted Clayton and worked through the challenges of helping him overcome the nightmare of his confinement and abuse at the hands of his parents. Clayton’s stepfather and mother received the maximum sentence for their actions… four years each in prison. However, his mother only served two years and three months, and his stepfather was released from prison after 21 months. You can read more of Clayton’s story at http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Claytons-Survival-Story/7#ixzz1VXOutjdN
Clayton’s great-aunt, Patti, said she had married and moved away when Clayton was little, and she had no idea that any of this was happening. When she was told of it, she dropped to her knees in horror and despair. And I understood that completely… I can imagine how devastated I would be if something like this happened to a young child I loved. But at the same time, I began to count the ways God worked in this situation to conquer enemies and save the innocent.
God surely gave Clayton a stepsister who loved him enough to risk her own safety to let him out, tend his wounds, and feed him. I can’t help but believe that God gave that teenage girl the courage to run away and try to gain safety for herself… and for Clayton. God equipped the investigating officer with wisdom and quick thinking… and he was able to gain the confidence of the teenage sister – and then that of little Clayton. God gave Clayton to loving adoptive parents… his great-aunt Patti and her husband… and he gave them the wisdom, patience and courage to help Clayton overcome his experiences and become the productive, happy young man that he appears to be today.
Clayton has not seen his parents since he was rescued, but he has come to terms with his experiences – and grown from them. He says he tries to be especially kind to others as a result… to be better for what has happened to him. And I can’t help but believe that God orchestrated that, too.
I don’t know what you are enduring today. I don’t know what your “closet” is - or what may have caused you to lose hope. But I know Someone who can rescue you… Someone who is equipped to handle whatever you throw at Him – and He wants to do just that! I also am not going to dwell on why these horrible things happened to little Clayton. Instead, I am going to look at what God has done with this situation to bring about positive results… and how this can serve as a lesson for each of us.
Oprah first aired information about Clayton in 2000, but she didn’t use his name. She told his story, and at one point in the show, she looked into the camera and said something to the effect of, “If you or someone you know is being abused or mistreated, tell a parent. If you can’t tell a parent, go to school and tell a teacher.” A six-year-old girl who was watching did just that. She was being raped by her stepfather, and the next day, she told a teacher. The stepfather was prosecuted and sent to prison for his crime. Because of Clayton’s story – and Oprah’s sharing of it… this little girl was rescued.
My point is that God may be placing you in a situation to connect the dots about someone who is in trouble. It may not be child abuse… it could be some other form of abuse… or a struggle with alcoholism, drugs, or another addiction. Someone could be despondent or in deep trouble… desperately needing others to pick up on the signs and point them toward appropriate help. God may be counting on you to be the “stepsister in Indiana” or the “officer in Kentucky”… or you may be the “Aunt Patti.” The question is… are you paying attention? Are you tuned in to God and His calling for you? Are you ready and willing to do your part? Notice I didn’t say “able”… because if God wants you to do something, He will give you the necessary ability!
I know this message is long, but it is important that we recognize that God may be calling us to be His agents on this earth to bring about great changes… to rescue others from enemies we can’t even imagine. He may be giving us opportunities to physically demonstrate His amazing power and love… and to praise Him for the opportunity and the rescue afterward. Are you paying attention? Are you ready to do your part? Will you step up and be a rescuer in God’s name… and praise Him for the outcome?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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