Hands Wide Open—The Battle We Must Wage
“We cannot wait for someone else to fight this battle. On our watch, in our neighborhoods, children are being abused—and it’s time we rise with hands and hearts wide open.”
As the darkness of today’s culture confirms sexual abuse and child sex trafficking as a disturbing reality, we’re forced to consider our response. And whether we own it or not, we must consider it our responsibility. We can look the other way. Or we can confront the enemy’s strategy “to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10) in the lives of our young people and resolve to do whatever it takes to protect them. To believe this battle will be solved by law enforcement or the government alone would be a foolish assumption. Why? Because clearly, if they could end this injustice, they would have done so by now. This is a battle we all must wage. Parents, teachers, coaches, nurses, neighbors, church and community leaders, and beyond—every sector of society must engage. Our children matter far too much. And sadly, we have failed them. As adults in 2025, it’s our time to steward history and raise the next generation to thrive. But on American soil, on our watch, children are being sexually abused and exploited for money. Conviction should consume our souls and move us to step up, seek the help of heaven, and fight.
Our battle stance is to live with our eyes and hearts wide open. But we cannot do this alone. We need an army of shepherds, advocates, and warriors working together on behalf of the vulnerable ones in our homes and our communities. The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” couldn’t be more relevant and needed in our nation today. If embraced, the village becomes a “strategy” where caring for children is a shared responsibility amongst many. People from all walks of life are ready and willing to be a force of love and protection for all the young ones and families in our community—a village with hands wide open to embrace and serve others. With hands wide open, we join forces with others and pursue partnerships that position us all over our cities and circles of life. There is strength in numbers. More people mean more territory under our careful watch. The wisdom of Ecclesiastes 4 says it all. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” When we join hands with our Sovereign God and others, we become a strong, unified village “on a mission” to protect lives. The Bible calls it the second greatest commandment—to “love your neighbor.” And we see it so beautifully lived out in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). Though a man was attacked, stripped of his clothes, beaten, and left half dead on the road, no one attempted to help. Not even the ones considered “religious.” Sadly, they just “passed by on the other side.” Finally, a Samaritan man (a foreigner) had mercy on him. He bandaged his wounds, brought him to an inn, paid for his room, and even all additional expenses. How rare to witness one who didn’t pass by. But with a heart full of compassion and hands wide open, he served a stranger in his greatest moment of need. Jesus couldn’t be clearer in His illustration of what it means to love our neighbor. And He told us to “go and do likewise.” No matter what color, age, nationality, economic status, or stature, our Savior Himself calls us to live with our hearts and hands wide open to all.
This call could feel overwhelming. But Jesus isn’t asking us to save the world. Only He alone can save. We need only play our vital role in the village by loving our neighbors well. This love in action is how we position ourselves to pursue and protect “the village” to the best of our ability. Ways to live and love with hands wide open can take on many forms, such as:
Love your neighbors.
Practice hospitality. Open your home, your backyard, your dinner table. Take walks around your neighborhood and engage with the people you meet. With prayer and intentionality, seek to cultivate acquaintances into genuine friendships. Get to know their story. Invite them into yours. Serve them. Be wise, safe, and prayerful. Don’t go solo. Practice hospitality as a family and/or invite friends to join you.
Volunteer.
Look for ways to volunteer and be active at your child’s school, athletics, hobbies, church youth group, and beyond. Be present. Get to know teachers, coaches, parents, leaders, and other kids. Be watchful—not only over your child, but also over all of them—volunteer for organizations that work with vulnerable youth. The more vulnerable a child, the greater the risk to their safety. Foster youth and kids coming from underprivileged homes need exceptional support. Search for organizations in your area doing reputable work.You can also become a volunteer with Trees of Hope, helping us expand our reach in the spaces where you already have influence. Whether it’s sharing prevention resources at your church, hosting a conversation in your mom group, or spreading the word about healing programs at your child’s school, you can be part of a movement that protects kids and helps survivors reclaim their stories.
Become a mentor.
Schools, church youth groups, and organizations working with vulnerable children are always eager to find mentors. They know mentors support, guide, protect, and positively impact a child like no large group environment ever could. Even leading a small group in a youth ministry creates an opportunity to mentor and shepherd a smaller number of kids, and the benefits are immeasurable.
Open your home for kids.
Be the cool home where your kids and their friends want to hang out. Host pool parties, pizza or dessert nights. Invest in a ping pong table or an outdoor fire pit space. Create a coffee bar and host a movie night. Get creative! Becoming the fun place where kids want to be enables you to get to know their peers (and their parents). Enables you to be watchful and tuned into your child’s influences. This is a highly strategic and tangible way to love the children and families around you.
Advocate for change.
Our voice and our votes matter. If we want more laws and protocols in place for protection and services, we need to take an active role in engaging with them. Stay up to date with what the local and national governments are (or are not) doing to ensure greater protection, rescue, and aftercare. Write your mayor, congressman, and senators asking for more action. Regarding child sex trafficking, organizations like Shared Hope International (https://sharedhope.org/) and Tim Tebow Foundation (https://timtebowfoundation.org) are on the front lines in Washington advocating for strong legislation to protect lives. Join their efforts.
You can also advocate for change right where you live by partnering with Trees of Hope. Help us influence local policies, equip schools and churches with prevention education, and amplify the voices of survivors in your community. Whether you speak up at your PTA meeting, meet with local leaders, or simply share our resources online, you become a voice that helps protect the future and heal the past.
Start a prayer group.
Prayer is powerful and, above all, the most effective way to fight this spiritual battle. Launch an intercessory prayer group. Invite other moms, mentors, and those influencing the next generation to gather and cry out to God.
Ephesians 6:12 is clear—we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness in the heavenly places.
We must wage war in the spirit through passionate prayer, calling on Almighty God and His angelic armies to fight for our young people.
At Trees of Hope, we deeply believe in the covering and strength that comes through prayer. We need prayer warriors who will commit to lifting up our healing groups, volunteers, survivors, facilitators, and prevention efforts. Whether you pray weekly over our ministry, intercede during group nights, or cover our team behind the scenes, your prayers are a vital part of this mission.
Want to join our prayer team? Reach out via email at info@treesofhope.org and let us know—we’d be honored to stand in agreement with you as we fight for healing, freedom, and protection in the lives of the vulnerable.
Be generous.
There are many organizations working hard to protect, rescue, and provide vital support to those who need healing from sexual abuse and exploitation. Consider donating your time, money, and resources. The work these organizations do is costly, and a lack of funding often limits their reach. Giving generously—especially to faith-based organizations—ensures greater impact, longevity, and the freedom to create Christ-centered programs.
One way to do this is by supporting Trees of Hope. Your generosity enables us to provide essential prevention education, healing groups, survivor resources, and training materials to communities that need them most. Whether it's a one-time gift or ongoing support, your donation makes it possible for us to protect more children and walk with more survivors on the path to restoration. To learn about different ways to partner with us, visit our partnership page.
Educate yourself.
The raw reality of sexual abuse and child sex trafficking is complex. Many assume they understand, but more often, they are unaware of the many dimensions of vulnerability, luring, grooming, and trauma. To be useful and effective in this fight, we must educate ourselves. Trees of Hope provides excellent resources to educate and empower individuals, families, churches, and organizations.
Explore our Prevent Online Course or schedule a live prevention workshop for your church, school, or small group. These resources are designed to equip you with real strategies and biblical wisdom to help stop abuse before it starts. And stay tuned for our upcoming child sex trafficking prevention guide coming in Fall 2025.
Share with others.
The more people know and understand the signs, dangers, and dynamics of sexual abuse and exploitation, the more eyes, hearts, and hands are opened to fight for children’s safety and well-being. Raise awareness. Post online. Host a meeting. Talk to teachers, principals, coaches, church and community leaders, parents, friends, and neighbors. Be the brave one willing to share and sound the alarm about what could harm our kids. Knowledge is power.
You don’t need a platform to make a difference—you just need a voice. Share Trees of Hope with those in your circle. Share a link to our prevention resources, invite a friend to a healing group, or follow us on social media to help spread the message. When you share, you spark change. Join our newsletter for monthly updates on resources and projects to share with your community.
Living with our eyes, hearts, and hands wide open takes courage, conviction, and a deep “knowing” that there’s only one response to that which threatens our children’s innocence, identity, and very lives.
This is our time in history—our moment to be shepherds and warriors for the young and the vulnerable.
With the help of heaven, we can follow in the footsteps of Jesus and wage war for their precious lives.
They are worth whatever it takes.
