The Prostitute

I saw my first prostitute today – well, that I am aware of.  She didn’t look at all like what I would’ve expected, and I actually had to be told that’s what she was.  I suppose I thought a person of this profession would look more like what you see on TV and in the movies.  You know, the glamorous looking girl in Vegas dressed in designer fashions that  none of us could afford, confidently working the casino like she owns the place.  Or the Julia Roberts/Jamie Lee Curtis character.  Or the dirty, cocky chick from Cops all done up in some cheap pleather skirt and bad attitude.

This girl was none of that. There was nothing stand-out attractive about her, nothing that stood out as desirable or confident.  She was wearing a pair of shorts, I guess, mid-thigh, an over-sized, dirty t-shirt, and a pair of worn out black sandals.  She looked sad, downcast, and insecure.   She was with a gentleman who looked pretty normal himself.  He was trying to secure a room for her, and I guess in retrospect, they didn’t really look like they would be together.

She stood back with her head down while he conducted the business of securing the room, but because it was for her, they needed her ID to run a background check.  The check pulled up a long list of priors for prostitution.  And yes, I was completely shocked and caught off guard.  Never would my mind have conceived this was the case.

The manager had to step over and explain to her that they could not rent her a room because of her background.  For reasons I could not explain at the time, I turned my back and looked in the other direction.  Everyone was laughing, more in shock than anything, and they were also laughing at how naïve I was about this situation.  And yes, I am completely ashamed to say we were sneering at the situation. I truly had NO IDEA!!  One of the employees asked why I turned my back.  I said, “I was embarrassed.”  Her response was, “Why? You aren’t the prostitute.”

Looking back, I realize I was embarrassed for her.  I suppose in some weird way, I was trying to offer her some amount of dignity.

I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind!  My heart just breaks for her.  I’m sure there are plenty who feel my response is somewhat ridiculous. She chose her life. She does what she does because she likes it.  She’s dirty. She’s trash.

I don’t believe that.  What I saw and what penetrates my heart tells me something different.  I think perhaps she feels trapped by her circumstances.  She has found a way to get by.  A way to make ends meet.  Sure, there are those who are able to use adverse situations to motivate them to rise above the odds and succeed, but that is not always the case. More often than not, people feel trapped and controlled by the circumstances life has handed them and they just get stuck.

I think somewhere along the way, this woman lost sight of her value. Maybe she has never known what her value is.  Maybe she’s  never had a man tell her she was valuable, beautiful, cherished, loved.   Maybe she has been used her whole life and this is all she knows.  And in some backwards, warped way, she has found security and value in the very thing that has robbed her of both.

I can tell you this, there was no life in her eyes.  No joy.

I’m not saying I could’ve made a difference, but how I wish I would’ve reached out to her in some way and let her know someone actually sees HER!  How I wish I could’ve offered her some tiny amount of dignity.

I know I’ve addressed the woman at the well before, but I couldn’t help thinking of this biblical account at this time.  This woman knew what the other women were saying of her.  She was too embarrassed to draw her water in the cool of the day when the other women would be there – perhaps not wanting to face their stares and snickers.  And she knew, all too well, how men looked at her.

And then there was Jesus.  He let her know that he saw HER!  He knew all of her mistakes and shortcomings and he still saw her with eyes of dignity and grace.  He expressed to her an unending and everlasting love of truth and value in spite of all she had done and all that she allowed to define her worth.

It is not likely that I will ever see this woman again, but I will pray for her.  I will pray for God to send women of grace to minister to her and help her discover the dignity, beauty, and value she has in her FATHER’s eyes.   And I will be more sensitive should I ever find myself in this situation again. I might not make an instant change in anyone’s life, but God can certainly use me to plant a seed.