You're Not Dirty

A young, pretty, First Nationas woman sat in a wheelchair, alone on the corner of Jackson & Hastings. We asked if she'd like a cocoa & goodies. She was grateful for them and asked if we would have time to listen to her. She told us of losing her infant child and her brother-in-law within a few months of each other. During these two tragedies her Mom was battling cancer and Emmie felt that she had given up and given in to the disease and died. This all took place in the last 6 months. Emmie had been using drugs heavily but was 'clean' recently. She is 24 years old, HIV positive and confined to a wheelchair. She is living with an addicted gang member and felt so hurt and weak and alone this New Year's Eve that she had come out to look for him and to get 'high' too. She said knowing that she was HIV positive made her feel dirty and ashamed. She didn't know what she'd done wrong for God to hate her so much.

We hugged her and told her she wasn't 'dirt' but that she had contracted a disease. We assured Emmie that God did not hate her but in fact, He love her so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for her sins. We told her that God thought she was so wonderful that He made only one of her, that she was precious in His eyes and that He has a plan for her life! That it is her sin that keeps her from knowing God. That He wants a relationship with her, wants her to talk to Him and trust that He's listening and will answer!

She said she had prayed and asked God to help her but nothing happened. I asked how she could say that because God had heard her and sent some of His children to stand with her right on that corner and tell her that He loves her!!! She began to cry and sobbed, "Yes," when I asked if she would like us to pray with her. AFter we prayed and wiped tears and hugged, finally Emmie smiled broadly and said, "I'm going home now. I feel so much better."

Happy New Year of the Father, Emmie!