Be Lifted Up

I brought a dozen heart balloons to the abortion center sidewalks Monday. I knew they had little helium left, but they still rose like beacons of love from the gift bag we tied them to. Lifted up, like my prayers for the day.

"I am planning to give one to each girl who chooses life today," I told my fellow workers.
"You are an optimist," one said.

As it turned out, my optimism was misplaced. It was the busiest I had ever seen the abortion center. I counted sixty cars streaming in with abortion minded mamas. Two full kindergarten classes that would never be filled.

Four women chose life for their babies, and that was cause for rejoicing. However, the staggering number of women who chose to end the life of their babies was sobering. What was equally disturbing is that the security people were urging all of the mothers who had brought about a violent end to their childrens' lives NOT to stop to talk with us. We have post-abortive literature that can help the grieving women, but the "pro-choice" crowd didn't feel they should be given even that choice.

When it was time to leave, we put the balloons on the RV, in hopes that tomorrow, so many women will choose life that the balloons will all be gone.

As usual, three or four of us stood on the sidewalks, well past lunch. I don't know about the others, but I was hungry. We'd been there four hours, but none of us really wanted to leave. We had to...but all of us felt the same pull.

Did the woman I talk to feel God's conviction in her heart? Might she change her mind at the last moment? If I leave, I won't know if that couple who sat in their car with the window cracked listening to me for an hour decided in the end to save their baby. Reluctantly, we all dispersed.

As I was driving away, I saw the car leave that I had been directing my efforts towards for an hour with my megaphone. I pulled over to watch it leave. Were both the man and woman in it? I rolled down my window, hoping I could talk with them one last time. Only the man was in the car. He had left the mama in the abortion center. I wanted to cry.

We need a full team of men and women willing to be there as the women come out. There are many who will be grieving, and our presence, our love, our kindness, and our pointing them to God may comfort them, and prevent future abortions. There are many who chose life at the last minute, and will need our resources, our friendship, our encouragement.However, there are not enough volunteers to cover the afternoons as well as mornings.

Cities4life is planning a new training session March 5. Will you be one of the people to be there as the hands and feet of Jesus? You will not regret it. It is not easy, but it is rewarding.
charlotte.cities4life.org

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To read a first hand account about a year in the life of a sidewalk counselor, click here to purchase
Singing in the Darkness. It is a book of hope in the midst of darkness.
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Mark 11:22-24

²² Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God. ²³ Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.