Irrational Optimism

For the past 2 days, Brooke taught on “Setting the Captives Free.” What stood out to me the most, was the quote, “we need a culture of irrational optimism…it is irrational optimism that leads to reform and transformation.”

Every week we learn more and more depressing information, which makes any optimism seem that much more irrational, but all the more reason we need to be optimistic. So much of what we see on the news is negative, but there are some good stories, of hope and rescue.

One thing we have been learning is that it’s not about the numbers. M-workers get asked over and over “how many people____?” You can fill in the blank with “meet the Father”, “attend your meetings”, or “were rescued from prostitution.” We could rescue a million kids, but just putting them in a giant orphanage really isn’t that helpful. Out of the numbers of kids rescued from prostitution about 80% go back. Why? They don’t know how to function as part of society, don’t have skills to get a job, are rejected by their families because of what happened to them, and feel they are good for nothing else anyway.

These children need holistic healing - medical care, counseling, education, vocational training, and to experience healthy relationships. They also need parental love and a safe environment to grow up in, which is why smaller family-style children’s home are much better than giant orphanages. One example is "The Garden of Hope" in Thailand.

Working with these children, "we need to be willing to commit more to a person’s healing journey rather than a healing moment." That takes time to build a relationship, establish trust, and than walk with them through restoration.

We also need a team of people talking to the Father for the workers:
- Physically –  as there is a lot of stress.
- Emotional/mentally – as it is easy to get depressed, overwhelmed, and feel hopeless.
- Spiritually – facing the opposition of the enemy who wants to destroy these kids lives, and distract from spending time with the Father.
- Socially – to have fun and not just think about all the bad stuff. Also to have grace for the people who don’t understand, or aren’t as burdened by these issues.

In light of that, I want to say that I really appreciate the people who are talking to the Father for me. Especially now as I am constantly surprised by how physically healthy I feel in spite of how emotionally draining this school can be. It's good to know I am not alone.