Benson

Detective Olivia Benson that is.
I am a huge fan of the TV show Law & Order: SVU.
I don't watch it regularly like I wish I could, but I do catch all the back episodes during my workouts on USA.
Mariska Hargitay is one of my all time favorite TV actresses, she's beautiful, strong, and talented.

But that's not all.  After years of being on Law & Order: SVU she started an organization- the Joyful Heart Foundation- that provides support to women who have been sexually abused.
In an interview she did she stated, "I started getting fan mail from survivors who felt a connection to Olivia.  In many of these letters, people would disclose their personal stories of abuse--some for the very first time.  I remember getting the sense that many were living in isolation with so much shame, but the shame belonged to the perpetrators.  I wanted to find a way to help people reclaim their lives and live them with a renewed sense of possibility and hope.  And that's what we work to do every day at Joyful Heart."

I think all to often we worry about life's What Ifs, maybe instead if we worried about the people who have actually suffered life's What Ifs we would be motivated enough to do something as awesome as Mariska Hargitay.  I think that someday I'd love to be involved in her foundation.  Some people want to help the homeless, some teenage mothers, some animal shelters, the list goes on and on.  I think my calling would be to help the sexually abused.  I have no experience with this, I wouldn't even know where to begin, but maybe just maybe someday I'll find a way to get connected to an organization such as the Joyful Heart Foundation.
So the next time you have a "What if?" moment...stop....ask God to remove that fear/worry from your heart and say a prayer for people who have suffered.  Then if you feel you are ready or able (trust me I understand the able part being difficult--life gets in our way--time only comes in set increments that can't be altered) find a way to give back to something/someone.

Sorry for such a heavy topic today.
I didn't mean for it to turn into this.
I literally meant to talk about Law & Order: SVU and how watching it helps me get through my workouts, my house cleaning, cooking, etc.
I felt a tug though to keep going deeper and to explain more.
Now I'm feeling a conviction to find a way to get involved.
Thank you God for opening my eyes when I least expect it.
I hope everyone has a blessed Monday.