A Safe Place

When we take the time to be still before the Lord, studying His Word and allowing Him to do His
work in our hearts, we can know that He will provide direction for us. Psalm 37 says:
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

There are several action words in this brief passage - we are instructed to trust in Him, meaning that we are to place our faith in Christ, a faith that is rooted in the knowledge of God's Word and His promises.  We are to dwell in the land, which implies that He intends for us to flourish wherever He calls.  We are told to delight in the Lord; we can rejoice in the Lord and enjoy His presence, knowing that He will conform our desires to His own and show Himself to be our provides.  And, we are to commit our way to Him, surrendering to Christ along the way.

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As God inspires ideas and direction in our hearts, we can respond to Him in confidence and trust His
wisdom and His provision. 1st John 5 states:
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Over a period of almost 30 years, a Texas woman named Carla Shellis has apparently been quite successful in business - she has owned five restaurants, as well as a roofing company, according to an article at The Stream, which relates that in 2012, she believes the Lord directed her to sell the restaurants and enter into a new full-time endeavor.

She had already begun to minister to women who were in desperate situations, including abusive ones, and stepped out in faith to do that full-time.  The article relates:

In 2015 she started volunteering at a safe house with women who had experienced sex trafficking. After 2.5 years of volunteering at the safe house, she sensed God telling her to open her own safe house. The shelter, named Bochy’s Place after her mother, opened in September 2017.

But, earlier this year, the ministry was at a crossroads - the property was on the verge of being sold, and Shellis was tested regarding how sold out she was to the plan of God.  The article relates:

“I was asking the Lord boldly,” Shellis said. “Lord, I’m coming to You in the name of Jesus and I’m asking in boldness that You would send somebody to donate some land.”

Two weeks after she got the residents relocated and everything moved out of the house, a supporter donated land for a new residence. Shellis recently spoke at a gala to raise funds to build Bochy’s Place’s new residence.

The article relates that shelter is a top concern for those who are victims of sex trafficking - a safe place that will provide care for these ladies.  And, there is a remarkably low number of places to go.  The Stream reports:

A national survey spanning six months in 2012 found 529 beds exclusively designated for victims of sex trafficking. Including these beds plus other beds not specifically designated for trafficking victims, a total of 1,644 beds were available to sex trafficking victims in the United States for at least one night.

But it takes funding, and quite a bit of it.  The article relates that:

Money is an obstacle in the struggle for safe houses to stay open, she says. Trauma care is particularly expensive. Shellis calculates that the cost to run Bochy’s Place for one year with 12 residents will be $384,000. This figure includes basic living expenses plus 24/7 staff in the safe house, medical treatment for STIs and physical trauma, legal fees, and specialized trauma-informed psychotherapy.

Carla believes that the Lord has given her a strategy upon which she can build a ministry that provides adequate shelter and care.  There are three elements - a triangle, if you will.

There's Bochy’s League, consisting of, in Carla's eyes, "people across the nation forming groups that raise awareness in their communities to prevent trafficking. These groups also raise money for a foundation that supports Bochy’s Place and other safe houses for survivors."

Plus, there is Bochy’s Box, described as "a quarterly subscription box for women" which "contains products including fashion accessories, beauty and home items."  Most of the items are donated.

And, of course, the third leg of the triangle is the home itself, Bochy's Place. Multiple homes, as she envisions. The article says: 

She wants to use her business skill to create a model that can be replicated so others can build healing, sustainable safe houses.

Can it work? Shellis believes it can. She’s not afraid to ask God boldly for what she needs. She’s seen God provide her a property and a plan, and she’s hard at work to see that plan fulfilled.

This year, at the organization's gala, the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, was the keynote speaker.  His office has been very involved in combating human trafficking in the state.

I want to consider several elements based on this story.  For one thing, we can continue to recognize that human trafficking is real - it is prevalent and certainly a threat to young women and even young men.  And, those who have been victimized need Biblically-based, compassionate care.  So, it's important to be aware of what is occurring.

We can also recognize how God will call people into new seasons of life.  Carla Shellis was a successful woman in business, but the Lord had other plans, and He used the skills that she had developed in the business world to apply in ministry.  As she was exposed to the women who needed care and assistance, the Lord began to birth a vision in her heart...

...and a strategy.   Not only did Shellis have the inspiration, but she began to trust the Lord to do His work and provide the resources for the ministry to grow.  If we have a God-inspired idea, we can look to Him to put the pieces into place.

Finally, we can respond to Him in boldness, being confident of His call and His capability.  And, we can be bold in prayer, asking in faith, so that His work might be carried out.