In His Light

I received a prayer request Sunday from a fellow sidewalk counselor at the abortion mill. A woman who had chosen life several days ago had decided to go back for an abortion. She would be at the mill Monday, the day I volunteer. I found out she was around 9 weeks pregnant and began praying in earnest. Many people were praying that the mother would not abort her baby. The counselor who had been speaking for days with the woman had told her all she needed to know. There was nothing left to say. Now it was up to God to convict her heart.

Knowing that all that could be said was probably already said, I decided to add my own hopeful message. I made a little clay baby that would be around the size and age of the woman's baby. I am holding it in my hand in the picture on this blog. It is very hard to make the baby younger than twelve weeks (in utero) since they are so small, and my eyes and manual dexterity are not what they used to be. (OK, yes, they were never very good....) Still, I knew my model was close. I added the little baby to my counseling materials and prayed I would have the opportunity to place the little model in the hands of the mother. Sometimes, if someone can see and handle what is only till then an abstraction, it helps make the choice more stark, more obvious.

It was frigid when we arrived at the mill. The abortion "bouncer" - the security man who escorts women past us dangerous counselors with our Bibles -- was in particularly 'fine form.'
 He was using words that would make your toes curl, and performing obscene gestures while shouting crude and rather disgusting phrases our way. In my opinion, his mom had definitely not washed his mouth out with soap nearly often enough.

A car with a driver who had just dropped off his girlfriend was pulling out of the mill.
"Can I talk with you?" I begged.
The young man nodded and rolled down his window.
I told him that there were other choices, including a free ultrasound unit in the RV right along the curb beside us. I told him about the terrible dangers and terrible abuses of the doctors and the abortion clinic staff. At that point, the "bouncer" came racing towards me, screaming and swearing.
"Are you a newbie?" he demanded.
I said , "Yes."
"Well get the $##%%$#@@#$$ out of the driveway! You aren't allowed to talk here!" As he continued spewing obscenities at me, I told him, "Yes sir. I am sorry."
I turned back to the young man, and asked if he would pull over to the sidewalk so I could talk with him. I was afraid he would drive away, but he didn't. He pulled over. I talked to him quite a while, showed him pictures of babies in utero, explained that God had a plan and purpose for that baby, and that there were many resources in the community and through cities4life that would help him. He listened without speaking.
"She's already in there," he said, finally.
"Get her out," I pleaded, "It is not a safe place. Bring her this literature. Please."
He nodded, and took the literature. He turned the car around to go back into the clinic parking lot. I told him I was praying.

Then, another car was driving slowly by and I ran out into the street. The driver stopped and rolled down her window.
"Please can I give you some literature before you go in there? Would you instead use our free ultrasound, staffed by wonderful nurses who want to help you?"
"God must have sent you my way," said the woman, "I  don't know if I'm pregnant but I see that RV also says pregnancy tests."
"Yes," I told her, "And I will walk you over. Don't go in that clinic. It is an evil place and dangerous."
My friend who had approached agreed, "You don't want to go in that place."
So the woman took our literature and we walked her to the RV. The people that are coming to the clinic are only coming for abortions. That is all the clinic does. I have been warned that because of their guilt many of the people lie to the counselors about their reasons for being there. It is best to assume they are there to abort, and proceed on that assumption.

When the woman I'd spoken with emerged from the RV, she was overjoyed. She was 9 weeks pregnant, and was certain God had planted us counselors in her path. She showed me the ultrasound photo of her child.  I pulled out the little clay model I had made.
"Your baby is almost this big," I told her. She held the little baby I had made and smiled. She hugged me and promised that she would share our literature with anyone who might think abortion was the answer. She was still smiling as she drove away.

Shortly thereafter, another counselor was speaking with a young woman and her sister in law. They agreed to go in our RV for the free ultrasound staffed with pro-life nurses. They were in there a long time. Meanwhile, the young man I had spoken to emerged from the abortion mill with his girlfriend. He stopped and told the counselors at the driveway that they had decided against the abortion. I did a happy dance, not up to Olympic standards, but not bad for an old grey haired lady.

Still waiting for the young woman to emerge from the ultrasound, another car left the mill with a man and woman in it. We knew the abortionist had not yet arrived. The man gave us a thumbs up, smiling. Another choice for life!

I begged for half an hour with a young man to go back in and bring his girlfriend out. He stood by his car, holding the hand of a toddler. He never looked at me the whole time, but at one point lay his head on the car roof and seemed to be crying. The abortion doctor arrived and I told the young man time was short. He must get her out, now. Finally he turned his face towards me and said, "I feel bad about it." But he got in his car and drove away.

At last,  the young lady emerged from the ultrasound. She and her sister in law walked towards us.
"Did you choose life?" I asked. (I have been told that subtlety is not my forte.)
She nodded.
"May I hug you?" I said.
My friend gave her a handmade baby cap and booties, and a gift card. She gave her her number and the list of free and low cost resources available to help her make ends meet through the pregnancy and birth.
"I have to go back in the clinic because they have my license," said the woman, "But I promise you, I am coming right back out."
We watched her return to the abortion mill, praying she really would come back out. We told her they might try to bully her and not easily give up. My friend and I watched anxiously.
A moment later, she came out.

"Thank you all so much for being here," said the sister in law, "I tried to tell her not to kill her baby, but she didn't listen to me. Thank God you all were here."

Yes. That is exactly right. Thank God.

While this is told from my perspective and experiences, there is a full team on the sidewalk and it is a group effort. One faithful brave soul speaks at length over the loudspeaker sound system, urging women to leave the mill. A mother with her 6 young children in tow comes simply to see the women and pray for them. Volunteers line the sidewalk, all calling out to the people determined to abort the precious babies. Many people who know of the ministry are at home praying. It is a united effort of people gathered in God's name in loving determination to challenge evil.

I never did get to put my little clay model in the hands of the woman who had chosen life, and then decided to go through with the abortion. I don't know what her final decision was, but I know that I am not the one responsible for the choice for life or for death. All I can do is be there as a conduit through which the light of Jesus might flow. Before leaving for the mill Monday, I was meditating on the verse, "In your light, we see light."  We are not the light, the best we can do is reflect His light. If we are faithful in that, we may even be blessed enough to see His salvation in action.

Five babies that we know of were saved that day.
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Would you like to be a light in the darkness of the abortion industry? Please go to cities4life.org to see how you can help.
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Ezekiel 22: 27-30
²⁷ Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. ²⁸ Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken. ²⁹ The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice.
³⁰ “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.