Something interesting always occurs during my day as a sidewalk counselor at the abortion mill. Yesterday, shortly after I arrived, I saw a mama and papa geese lead a whole flock of baby geese to the sidewalk.
"This is a good omen!" I thought, as I snapped their picture. While I was watching the geese waddle away, I saw a long crocodilian shape gliding very fast through the water.
"This is a bad omen!" I thought.
I watched until the shape came closer and then realized it was a beaver, or maybe a muskrat. It flipped over and dipped under water. Whew! Not a crocodile afterall!
So back to work flagging down cars as they screeched around the corner and barreled towards the abortion mill. One of the team member's son is always on my heel. He keeps me entertained with a running commentary, but has been instructed that when I flag down a car, he is to pray! He is only 11 ( I think) but asks heartfelt questions each time after I have spoken with an abortion minded mama.
We often pause and pray together for the innocent life hanging in the balance. I cannot tell you what an encouragement his sweet spirit is to me. I pace up and down the sidewalk while scanning the street for approaching cars, and he paces with me.
"At least we're getting our exercise," he says cheerfully, as he tells me about his day at Carowinds amusement park.
The first car I stopped had two men in it. They smiled at me and rolled down the window.
"OH," I said, "You're not getting an abortion, are you?"
"No ma'am," said the driver, smiling, and then asked me for directions to a nearby business.
Well if on this day, God had called me to be the mapquest girl, so be it. I continued to smile, wave, and urge cars to stop in the street before turning into the abortion mill. Despite many cars stopping and the women taking my literature, they all headed on into the abortion mill. Most seemed calloused to the deed they were about to perform. However, one couple looked apologetic as I asked if the woman was headed to the abortion center. I showed her my literature, and asked why she felt she needed to get an abortion. I thought she told me she felt it was necessary because she works in radiology, and feared it had hurt the baby. My teammate thought she had said she had undergone radiation. Anyway, her heart seemed soft, and I thought she would take us up on going to the pro-life ultrasound RV on the curb. The other counselor and I told her the nurses there would be able to give wise counsel regarding radiation and risks, and would do it for free. She took our literature, but she went into the abortion clinic anyway.
"What did she say?" asked my little sidekick, the 11 year old, when the car drove away.
"Her heart is soft, but she went in," I said, "Let's pray."
He prayed with me.
Another car stopped. It was a worker in the abortion mill.
"Do I know you?" she asked.
I told her not that I knew of, but began my plea not to abort her baby.
"Oh, I work here," she said.
"Then I beg you to get another job," I told her, "One that doesn't involve babies dying."
"I want to," she told me, "But no one else will hire me."
"Test God on this," I said, "If you leave what you know is wrong and honor Him by making a right choice, I guarantee you will be blessed."
"Will you pray for me?" she asked.
"Yes," I said, "Right now, in fact."
So I prayed "at" her, reminding her of the hope and salvation found in Christ alone, and that when we believe, step forward in faith, and do what is righteous in God's eyes, He empowers and transforms us.
I hoped she would drive away immediately from the abortion mill, but she did not. Later I learned she goes to a large and hugely popular church in the area. How? How can anyone who claims to love God assist in the murder of His children? I just don't get it.
One car stopped with a young woman and her mother. As I spoke with them, the young lady told me she was here for a check-up, and had gotten the abortion three weeks ago. Since so many of the moms lie, I handed her my literature anyway, and opened it to the first page to show her the list of resources that can help her.
"I would never do it again," she said mournfully.
Then she looked down and saw the small photo of an aborted baby clipped to the front page.
"I will take your literature," she said, "But please, take that picture off."
I unclipped the photo and showed her where my name and number was on the information packet, and told her if she ever needed to talk to someone, I was always at that number. I also handed her our post-abortive pamphlet. That information speaks of God's forgiveness and love, and healing in the midst of the terrible despair so many of these women feel. I was about to tuck the picture of the aborted baby in my pack when the mother of the young woman asked me, "May I see that picture?"
I handed it to her. She looked at it silently for several seconds. I suspect she had been the one to drive her daughter to the murder of her grandchild. I think at that moment she perhaps had a sense of what a terrible travesty that was. She handed the picture back to me without speaking.
Baby geese notwithstanding, it had not been a good day. The other counselors all said goodbye and drove away as our long and seemingly fruitless shift drew to a close. I stood on the sidewalk wondering how so many hearts could be so hard to the remonstrations of a loving God. My friend Celia was packing up her things, when the woman I had spoken to earlier came out of the abortion mill. She went to her car, where her boyfriend sat in the driver seat. They spoke a while, and then he got out and she sat down in the driver seat as he walked around to the passenger side.
"That's odd," I thought, "if she just got an abortion, why would she drive?"
As they pulled out of the driveway, I called out dispiritedly, "Did you change your mind?"
"We didn't do it," said the young man, rolling down his window. As they drove away, he stuck his hand out the window and gave me a thumbs up.
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