12 Oct From Out of Darkness

From Out of Darkness
by Lynn Sweetland

There is a light in the dark;
I can barely see it.
Try as I might,
I can hardly reach it.

Struggling towards it
Is a never-ending fight
As my legs are bound
Way too tight.

Oh God, unleash a beast
That is bottled inside.
Release me Lord
From the pain I hide.

Fear is my only friend,
My constant companion.
I let no others in,
For trust is abandoned.

Yet the light ahead
Begins to glow;
My eyes now seeing
Where I must go.

I look down and urge
My feet to start,
As God’s love fills
The deep hole in my heart.

Dear God, I pray as
Darkness surrounds me,
Release me from these
Chains that enslave me.

One by one, chain by chain,
I am now free.
God’s love brought me
Out of captivity.

From out of the darkness,
Into the light
God’s arms carried me as
My legs took to flight.

I gave up on fear being
My only friend.
I shall trust in God forever,
Until life’s end!

Lynn Sweetland is a trafficking survivor who has transcended her past and now works as an abolitionist, mentor and advocate for other survivors. She is involved in a variety of anti-trafficking efforts and works with a number of organizations, including as a member of HRGlocal’s Advisory Board.

“Being a survivor means I just went through an ordeal, but thriving means I have gone through the ordeal and I am surviving past that,” she said. “Transcending is when it is no longer part of my life, it’s a backdrop of who I am but it doesn’t rule me. That is where I am now.”