He Never Works the Way I Expect : A Journey with Cancer and Life

First, HUGE praise. I went for my first consult with the oncology surgeon after my time on the sidewalk of the abortion mill counseling women to choose life. My oncologist THINKS MAYBE we can do just a lumpectomy and MAYBE no chemo if my lymph nodes are clear (He won't know that till they biopsy the lymph nodes during surgery). I have to do one more biopsy (Big sigh) to see if one last suspicious area is clean. If it is, he thinks we can go for lumpectomy, not full mastectomy. Oh friends, please keep praying. This is by far my preference! And no chemo maybe!!! Now, I did have some AWFULLY cute wigs already picked out, but I can live without them. I had put aside all hope for a less invasive surgery. God is opening a window....

Meanwhile, my morning at the abortion center sidewalk was amazing, and demonstrates again, the fallacy of "pro-choice." One woman pulled in to the parking lot of the abortion center already crying. She and her friend got out of the car, now both crying. 

I was on the microphone, putting our sound system to good use. As an aside, the abortion center applies for the sound system every week. Only one permit is granted. The abortion center never USES a sound system. They just don't want us to have it because it helps CHANGE MINDS and the center loses money for every baby who lives. 

This week, we had the sound system. I told the mama she didn't need to do this, and if she felt this bad already, she could not imagine the pain she would feel later if she aborted. She sobbed, hugging her friend who was also crying. They stood in clear sight at the back of the car, hugging and crying for a long time. Meanwhile, I spoke nonstop to her on the microphone. I told her we could help, reminded her of God's love and provision and strength when we have reached the end of ours. (Thank you Cancer for making me talk so knowledgeably about this particular truth.) I talked about how our circumstances should never dictate our moral choices. 

When I was quiet, fellow counselor Chrissy spoke. We took turns speaking without pause as though a life depended on it...because it did. Then the "pro-choice" security escort, so noble and gentle-hearted, (Sarcasm Alert) put her arm around the crying woman and pulled her towards the clinic. I could not hear what she was saying but I had a good guess. She was dragging the poor sobbing woman to the clinic door. The two crying women stopped and now stood in front of the car where we couldn't see them as easily. The security escort was still talking to them. 

Over the mic, I advised them to listen carefully and compare the words and motivations of the escort urging the mama to abort, with our message of God and hope. 

"They claim to be pro-choice, but what options are they offering you? One. Pro-death. She is telling you not to listen to our options." (It turns out, I was spot-on in my guess of what the escort was saying.)

The crying mama went in despite our pleas, and the crying friend drove away. She stopped for me in the driveway on her way out. She was sobbing. She told me she knew abortion was wrong but didn't know what else to do for her friend. I gave her my phone number and our literature and told her to go back in to her friend. Show her the literature. Tell her to call me.

She drove away, but returned a short time later, talking on the phone as she pulled into the lot. Then she pulled up to the door of the clinic,  and the mama came out! I called to her friend, "Will she come on our ultrasound???" I almost collapsed when she nodded. 

She drove to the curb next to the RV and parked. The mama was sobbing, telling me she didn't know what to do. I assured her we would help her, and God was with her. I then led the broken woman (C) onto our mobile ultrasound RV,  along with several young kids who were the progeny of her and the friend. 

They were sweet kids and sat quietly as I counseled C. After sharing the Gospel, C told me she had asked Jesus into her life the night before! She had told God then that if abortion was not the answer, could He give her a sign? "You were the sign," she said. "When you kept talking on the mic, I was asking myself why is she doing this to me? But God was showing me what to do, and I kept hearing your voice over that security lady."

I put my art degree to good use drawing animals to keep the kids entertained while counseling C. Their dog had just been hit and killed by a car, so I asked them to describe the dog, and I drew a picture of him. They really liked that. Meanwhile, C had made her decision even before seeing the baby on the ultrasound. No matter what, she would follow God. She would find a way to raise this baby, or if need be, place him for adoption. She would not kill him.

She told me that the escort was trying to talk her into aborting. "Just go in the clinic to do it. Ignore them," the escort had said, pointing to me and Chrissy. But C told me she kept hearing me say, "You don't have to do this." 

When she had gone into the clinic, she'd asked if the baby's heart was already beating. She was several weeks along. She told them she would not abort if the baby's heart was beating. They told her "NO, the heart is not beating." What a bunch of liars!!!! The baby's heart beats at 18 days after conception, before most women even know they are pregnant!

Anyway, now safe in our RV, C and her friend were beside themselves with gratitude and even joy. The ultrasound tech, Kelly, was great. Here is God's wonderful icing on the cake: as soon as Kelly put the ultrasound on C's tummy, the baby popped into view with such an OBVIOUS heart beat that all those little kids who were with us said, "AWWWWWWWW!" Every one of those kids, age 4-9 could tell that was a beating heart. The littlest girl told me, "That's a baby!"

Not two minutes after they drove away, I got a text from C, "THANK YOU FOR PREVENTING THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. I FEEL A LOT BETTER NOW AND STRONGER THAN EVER. I WILL FOREVER APPRECIATE YOU. I AM REALLY BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO OPEN MY EYES. I LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH."

Get this, she wants to be an ultrasound tech, wants to go to school for it, and needs a computer. I had put out a facebook plea for a computer for another mom I work with, and had gotten two responses! I had an extra computer for C! She was thrilled. God is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

He never really works the way I expect, but He is ALWAYS working. 

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To join this incredible ministry, go to charlotte.cities4life.org
To read about this incredible ministry, you may purchase a book about the first year as a sidewalk counselor by clicking HERE.
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Romans 8:24-25 

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.