It’s difficult to describe what it’s like spending your Saturday night in a strip club and then less than 6 hours later partaking in communion with your church family on Sunday morning. I was talking to my sister the next day about how difficult it is to leave the club feeling that I just left everyone behind- that maybe I didn’t do enough or maybe I was not bold enough. My young, wise sister, reminded me that they are NEVER out of the reach of God’s love. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus didn’t wait until we got everything in order- while we were in the midst of our “Biggest” sin- that’s when he shed His blood for us. That’s what makes communion so special. These women that are living in such darkness do not even realize that there is a God that loves them right now!

I spent most of my evening in the dressing room listening to the girls talk about their lives: their boyfriends, their children, complaining about the customers, how much money they are or are not making. But, I would consider that I had 2 significant God opportunities.

The first time I went to this club, I met one of the DJ’s there. After I assured him I was not interested in dancing, he would not stop asking me what I do for a living. I responded that I work in an office. (he didn’t know it was a church office!) But he kept going on and on asking me…. He said, “I can tell there is something different about you- you’re sophisticated.” I believe that your light shines brightest in the darkness- and he had no other way to describe what he saw in me but as “sophisticated.” Once my friend, Amber finally blurted out to him what I do at the church - he was really puzzled. For the rest of the night he watched me and when I was back stage, he wanted to talk to me and ask all kinds of questions about the church and tell me about his background. At that point, he told me that he had attended Northwoods Church in Peoria several times. He enjoyed the church and described the sermons as “motivational speaking.”

He was working Saturday night- as he has for over 15 years there. I went to the DJ booth to say hi to him and he immediately recognized me. Amber told him that I ask her about him all the time to which he didn’t believe. I assured him that I do think about him all the time, in fact, I have a post-it above my computer in my office with his name on it and I pray for him everyday. He responded that I had just made his night, seemed humbled and then someone yelled from the stage because he was obviously falling behind on his DJ duties… so we said good-bye – for now.

The second conversation was with Amy. Amy is a dancer that was feeling very discouraged with her body and had not been making very much money. The girls have to pay to dance. The house fee is at least $50 a night and if they are late for their shift, they are fined. The owner also gets a cut of everything they make- lap dances, VIP rooms, etc. The owner gets $125 from the VIP room and the girls can charge whatever they want above that. Then, the managers are there with their clipboards walking around the dressing room making sure the girls turn in their money throughout the evening.

Amy has actually been paying her house fees out of her own pocket, because she has not been making enough money to cover her charges. She is a single mom with 2 children. She started talking about how difficult it is for her to work there knowing that most of the men are committing adultery. At that moment, we got interrupted. (It was just getting good!) But, I as I was feeling frustrated that our conversation ended so abruptly, I remembered that she had given me her phone number to give my friend that sells their outfits.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

(I went to the club with my friend, Amber, author of the blog “One More Night.” Amber no longer dances, but her main source of income is selling the outfits that the girls wear in the club. She uses it as an opportunity to stay in the world where she once lived.)