The Forever 21 Factory

Depending on the route I take, I occasionally drive by the Forever 21 factory on my way home from work. The old concrete building always gives me such an eerie feeling. The once-white walls are stained. Cracked windows reveal a few office desks and chairs on the upper floor. The rest is left to the imagination.

What goes on behind the thick walls? Whose fingers are hurting from the sewing? Who is coughing from the fumes? Who blows their noses after work only to find the remains of that day's choice of dye colors covering their dirty tissues? Who struggles with cruel bosses and unreasonable work hours?

The thing is, I didn't always look at factory work like this. I used to understand the opinion of "at least these people have jobs". I didn't think it was fair that they got paid so little, but I saw both sides. But this year God has put me in relationships with people that have allowed me to place faces to the unknown masses behind the stained white walls of the Forever 21 factory. They are my students' moms and dads, grandmas, aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters. They are people struggling to survive and provide for their families in our crazy, unjust world where some have to scrounge for food daily while others throw away extravagent meals. They are people whom my students love and worry about...

God, show me ways that You want me to live justly and bring justice into this world. Help me to truly live leaving all things behind and following You. Help me to trust You more and depend on myself less.