Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Change the World

Watching the news reports of the looting and rioting over the Ferguson decision, I am deeply saddened. I am saddened by executive orders that reward lawless behavior. I am saddened every Monday as I stand on the sidewalks of the Abortion Centers in our city pleading for life, and watch the parking lots overflow with women seeking to terminate the life of their own child. I want to change the world, but what can one person do?

I thought I would be alone at the abortion mill yesterday. My regular team members were sick. However, when I showed up, one sweet young lady, Anna, was there. She is only 20 years old. She knew I would be alone, and drove an hour to be sure I would have a helper with me. Later, two others showed up and we all grieved at the very heavy crowd of cars in the parking lot. Holiday weeks are big business times for the abortion mills. People off from work and home from college flock to dispose of their babies. A rather incongruous way to show Thanksgiving to God, don't you think?

The first woman who pulled over to speak with me was a mother dropping her daughter, who works at the abortion mill. She waved goodbye as her daughter dashed into the facility without looking at me.
"Do you believe in abortion?" I asked the mother when she told me why she was there.
"No."
"Does your daughter believe in God?"
"Yes...in fact we go to Elevation Church."
"Does your daughter understand that by working here, she is promoting abortion?"
The woman agreed.
"Do you agree abortion is an affront to a holy God who says do not murder?"
She agreed it was.
I gave her a pamphlet and urged her to speak with her daughter. I told her of a group that will help abortion workers seeking to leave the field.
"Please speak to her," I begged, "As a mother of an older teen, I know how hard it is as they get older, but trust she is still listening."
As she drove away, I was astounded (again) by the number of church-goers who do not take a stand against such an obvious defiance of God's commandments. I want to change the world...but what can one person do? Maybe we can change the world by planting one seed at a time.

I spent a long time on the speaker, which we know they can hear in the mill, talking about how this Thanksgiving could be the time when the mama would look back with either deep remorse and regret, or with gratitude for the new life she carried within her. The choice was before her. She had the power to change her destiny and leave with shame and despair, or relief and joy. God, the author of life, would not leave her alone. A path that seemed impossible would be cleared by the same Lord who rose from the dead and conquered sin and death once and for all. This Thanksgiving week, take the first step of faith, and heed the still, small voice urging to let her baby live. Maybe we can change the world by speaking a message of hope and faith to one roomful of people at a time.

Two women ended up choosing life. One was particularly touching. She came out of the mill, and got in her car. As she drove out, she rolled down her window and stopped to talk with us.
"I couldn't do it," she told us, "I was crying my heart out in there." She wasn't crying now. She looked joyful. While talking with us, she got a text, "Oh that's my boyfriend," she said.
"Please don't let him talk you out of this," I encouraged.
"He didn't want me to do it," she said, texting him back, "He is happy. I'm glad I didn't do it."
My fellow counselor gave her our new mama gift bag, telling her she would never regret this decision for life. I gave her the adorable hand knit baby booties from my friend Carrie High. She also took our literature with my name and phone number on it and I told her to please call if she had any problems and needed help. Then she let me hug her. We counselors high-fived and hugged each other as she drove away. The angels were dancing in heaven and we were dancing on earth. Maybe we can change the world one baby at a time, with one small gift from one faithful person at a time.

As soon as my time there at the mill ended, I headed off for another blessing. I had already made a date to meet one of my "saves" (L) from the abortion mill who I have been friends with for many months now. I was bringing her family a Christmas tree, and then taking her and her new baby out to lunch. The little Christmas tree had been in our attic for some time. I was glad to give it a new home. It was zipped in a bag, and I hoped it would be in adequate condition. As I lifted it out of the bag for the family, the little one-year-old niece of L watched with wide eyes. L had told me that the year before, all they'd had was a tiny potted 6-inch pine sapling for a Christmas tree.

Anyway, to my delight (and the one year old's), the tree was covered in garland and already bedecked with lights.I'd forgotten I'd left all that on it when I stuffed it in the attic in the zippered bag.
"I don't know if these are still working," I warned the uncle, who was also there when I arrived. He ran to get an extension cord as I fluffed out all the limbs on the 4 foot tree. The whole family stood around as he plugged it in. Glory be to God, the tree lit up, without a single light missing! The one year old stood transfixed, and reached out to touch a light. Maybe we can change the world with one small sense of wonder and tiny miracle at a time.

My lunch with L was wonderful. We talked the entire time about God. She had many questions as she has begun reading her Bible and wants so much to understand what she is reading. I noticed the waiter standing nearby listening as I answered her questions. Two for one, I thought! L was very curious about baptism, thinking she should baptize her baby. We went through several verses talking about baptism. In the end, she decided that baptism of babies was not scriptural, since baptism involves repentance and recognition of one's sins. However, she thought perhaps she would like to be baptized. I smiled at her, told her how wonderful she was, and I would see what we could do about getting her baptized. Maybe we can change the world by one small step of faith at a time.

It was a wonderful day. As I dropped L and her sweet baby back home, I returned to my car. It was a very hot day - mid 70's! The family had a puppy in a crate on the front porch. It was panting. It was full in the sun, with no water. I had asked L to get the poor thing water, and as I turned on the car, she still had not reappeared on the porch. I started to drive away, feeling guilty as I was certain she had forgotten. Then I remembered what I had said to one of the "friends" of a woman in the abortion mill who told me she would not try to talk her friend out of the abortion.
"It's none of my business," she told me.
"We are our brother's keeper," I told her.

I stopped the car. I got my waterbottle and a little plastic tub. I filled the tub with water and opened the puppy's crate. He licked me gratefully and then dove into the water, lapping it with vigor. There was an old sheet on the porch. I covered half his crate with the sheet so it blocked the sun. He lay down in the shade wagging his tail at me. Later I texted L and told her it was hard on a pup to be without people, water, and shade, and I hoped they would let him inside. She said, "OK." Maybe we can change the world by one small act of compassion for one small defenseless creature at a time.

I am just one person. What can one person do?

I want to change the world. Oh Lord, I want to change the world.

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If you want to change the world one small person at a time, please contact Lisa Metzger at lisametzger@cities4life.org or go to charlotte.cities4life.org.

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Genesis 4: 8-10
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

1 comment:

  1. Beautiful post. And I'm so thankful for the ones who choose life.

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