Walking In Another's Shoes

I slept little two nights ago. Tossed and turned thinking about S, the mama who chose life (we hoped) at the abortion mill Monday in defiance of an abusive boyfriend. I got up and notified the Tuesday team at the abortion mill to please call me if S showed up again. I would find a way to get out there. Since I was her "first contact" counselor, it seemed I should be there. However, by noon, when most people have arrived, she had not come as far as I knew. It appeared that she really had made the astonishing courageous choice for life despite the angry boyfriend. I finished my morning work, and having no call back to the abortion mill, dashed off to the river with my kayak. It was near 80 degrees and sunny. God was calling me to the river just as clearly as the day before, He had called me to the abortion mill sidewalk.

I was the only one on the river. It was perfectly smooth, nothing ruffling the surface. Silence reigned, save for the call of osprey, and one particularly noisy nest that I think must have been full of babies! After the very hard day at the abortion mill dealing with the mama who wanted to choose life and the violent boyfriend who was forcing her to ignore her conscience, I needed those still waters. I had cried off and on much of the day before. Now the river offered to comfort with the peace and assurance of God's presence in all creation.

I skimmed along praying, and then singing hymns. It was so restorative. Along one bank covered with trees, I saw at least a dozen great blue herons in nests on the treetops. They all watched me float by, their beautiful necks curved in graceful S's. Since there was not a soul on the water, I sang loudly. The few turtles I saw watched me too, and seemed unconcerned that my voice was a little hoarse from my constant shouting out to S at the abortion mill yesterday.

When I returned to the shore, I found a pair of expensive Birkenstock sandals floating in the water. I retrieved them, and put them on. They fit! I walked in them up the bank to my car.

It is important now and then to walk in someone else's shoes, I thought. When I sent out the article on my experiences with S at the abortion mill yesterday, I got a slew of comments from many of the sites where I posted it. It amazed me how wrong so many assumptions are regarding sidewalk counseling. If only they had walked in my shoes....I thought! A common refrain was fear that we convinced the woman to keep the baby, and then left her all alone. They were clueless about the vast network of services that not only Cities4life offers the woman, but most of the committed sidewalk ministries offer to support and help the woman and her child over the long run. It is easy to try to support the pro-abortion movement by ignoring the facts that might change one's mind....

Of course, to put the shoe on the other foot...we hear over and over again at the abortion mill, "You don't know my situation!!" That is true. We all accede that is true. But what we do know is that there are guiding principles, values that should remain no matter what the circumstance. One of those is the sanctity and value of human life. Every human life is of equal value before God and therefore, should be so for us as well. In response to my blog, at one site I had an extended "debate" with a man who was pro-abortion, and his primary argument was that the fetus was not human.

This one has always perplexed me. Not human? What is the fetus...a fish?  In fact, I asked him that but he didn't answer. He just sent me a picture of a worm and noted that a worm has DNA, so if unique DNA defines personhood, then my logic was flawed. (?)  I told him the worm DNA would never direct the worm to grow up to be a human, yet the DNA in the developing baby would always direct the baby to develop as a human. Then he moved on to other arguments.  I won't go into them here. I am sure you have all heard them, but he kept trying to "trip me up" with varying circumstances in which I might change my mind about the value of life.

"I am not a relativist," I told him, "I will never deviate from my premise. All human life is of inestimable value, all equal in the eyes of God, and all with inalienable right to life. That doesn't change with the situation. It is true in every situation."

Nothing could change that core conviction since I now know God, and the incredible gift of life He created. No, I don't know all the circumstances of those young woman who want to kill their baby, but I do know that out of adversity, miracles often abound. I also know that one cannot ignore their conscience for very long before it will eat them from the inside out. And most importantly, I know God can do all things, but our lack of trust, obedience to His word, and faith limits His impact in our lives.

I kicked off the Birkenstock sandals and placed them on the concrete parking lot, near where I had found them, so they could dry in the sun. They were a little small for me anyway. I hoped the owner would find them.

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Genesis 1:27 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Jeremiah 1:5 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Genesis 2:7 

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Romans 13:8-10 

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Psalm 138:
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.