On Tuesday night my friend Cat and I got to help out at a Christmas PJ party for Hamilton’s prostituted women.  Over 50 women came and we gave them all brand new La Senza pyjamas and slippers, did hand treatments, decorated cookies with them, played a pass the parcel game, and ate way too many snacks!  At the end of the night they each received a gift bag to take home, and filled out a Christmas ‘wish’ to hang on the tree.  They wrote down their wishes knowing that we’d be praying for them afterwards.  I met some incredible girls and women and had an amazing time. Here are some thoughts that went through my head that night:

–This is the only Christmas most of these women will get this year.
–Celebrating Jesus and spending time with family make Christmas my favourite season. These women will  probably be servicing men that night. No wonder they don’t like Christmas.
–There is a disproportionate number of Aboriginal women here.  It’s very clear that Native women and girls are falling through the cracks of society.
–There is nothing more delightful than seeing adults so excited about decorating cookies!
–There is nothing sexy about prostitution.  It is the face of desperation and exploitation.
–If prostitution was legalized, as many academics say it should be, there is no way any of these women would make the ‘cut’ and be hired to legal brothels. They are too beat up, drug addicted, and weathered.  They would not benefits from the supposed “rights” legalization claims to offer.
–It’s weird that these girls are going to work after this party.
–Why has God blessed me?  Why has he spared me and not these girls from such a life?
–How can I love people who have had such different life experiences?
–I am humbled that these girls don’t write me off as a rich white church girl, but are willing to accept my humble and awkward attempts to love them.

More than anything, I was so grateful that these girls had a safe place to spend a couple hours and be showered with unconditional love.  Like a reprieve from the hell that is their life.  Abusive pimps, cold weather, and unrealistic demands.  Drug addictions, fear of hope, and fear of authorities.  Judgment from Christians and non-Christians alike.  Desperation, bitterness, hurt, and resentment.

It sure is a good thing Christmas is about Jesus, the light of the world and the healer of all wounds. Let’s start living like HE is the reason for the season and shed off all the crap that somehow makes Christmas about US. Let’s live out the hope that we have this December…and maybe we’ll get to decorate cookies in the process!

Michelle