Something about her body language triggered my concern for her safety.

When our car first rounded the bend in the road, I noticed the two of them.  A male and a female.  I thought they may have been teenagers, and they seemed to be horsing around.  He playfully giving her a little shove.  She running in a little circle around him.

But as we got closer, and as we passed them, her circular run around him seemed more like she was trying to dodge him, and she was ducking her head in a way that spoke of fear.  His contact with her seemed more aggressive than a playful shove.  What’s more, they didn’t look like teenagers at all.

As we got further past them, my mind was trying to process what I had seen.  Was this woman in danger?  Or was I completely misinterpreting what I had seen?  What should I do?  They were rapidly becoming just a speck in the rearview mirror.

I did nothing.

My mind refused to believe what my eyes had seen.  This was Stringfellow Road, in Fairfax County.  In broad daylight.  Surely there was nothing sinister going on there.

That incident happened about fifteen years ago, and I still think about her.  It is quite possible, and I think probable, that this was either a domestic abuse situation, or a case of human trafficking.

What if I had called the police?  Could this woman have been saved from a life of violence and fear?  If I was wrong, what harm could that have done?  Perhaps it would have been better to be safe, than to be sorry, as I am now.

Wealthy counties like Fairfax are not immune to problems like domestic abuse and human trafficking.  In fact, counties like Fairfax are appealing to traffickers because of their wealth and stability.  These cases are often hidden in plain sight.

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27)

When presented with the opportunity and the ability to help someone in need, we are called to make the right choice and do so.

Lord God, my Redeemer and my Counselor, keep my heart set on pilgrimage.  Pilgrimage to become the person you desire me to be.  Keep me teachable, so I can learn to do good, to seek justice, and to correct oppression.  I ask for the wisdom and the courage to make the right choices, the righteous choices you are calling me to make.  And I ask for your mercies for those living in fear of violence.  Protect them from those who mean to harm them, and give us the desire and the courage to act on their behalf.  Amen.