Using Our Influence for God

Many people stopped to talk or at least to argue with us at the abortion center yesterday. We preached from God's word on the microphone the whole time, all six members of the team at one time or another. Two women chose life over abortion, which was thrilling. One went on our ultrasound RV with fellow counselor, Anna, and the other listened to us on the mic, and then made a choice to cancel the abortion. We were so grateful that she stopped to talk with us, and let us know she had changed her mind, and will contact me if she needs our free baby shower.

I had an interesting interaction with a BIG guy who used every rationalization in the book of why abortion was perfectly hunky dory with God. (He was the father of a child being killed that day.) If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know the scope of the excuses we hear out there, so I won't bother repeating them. The guy was probably 6'5" or so, and clearly agitated. I did not back down, reminding him of what God has to say on the matter of innocent, human life. He was growing increasingly belligerent. I was less frightened than I might have been because our RV driver, Dwight, is a big muscular guy himself, and he was standing right next to me, which was comforting. 

I would be like a worm in that big, angry man's grip. However, he would be a fool to tangle with Dwight. Anyway, the big rationalizing guy then told me if I could read from the Bible what I had just said, he would bring his girlfriend out of the abortion center. So, I pulled my Bible out of my belt pack (much to his surprise) and did just that. 

"Now I did what you asked. Do what you promised," I said.

"Nope," he said, "You should have known better than to trust me."

Dwight took over at that point, and I overheard him say he was an NFL football player. I never knew that! He worked it into his plea to the angry man. In the end, the man got in his car, and shut the door. He could not challenge us on the truth of what we said, since he claimed to love God, and we were quoting God's word. 

Meanwhile, I was floored that sweet, humble, gentle Dwight had a famous past, and here he was on the sidewalks of an abortion center serving others and telling them of the love of Jesus that could lift them so much higher than the path they were on. (He never introduced himself to anyone as Dwight the famous NFL player...but as Dwight, the RV driver.)

At one point, the mama who had chosen life after being on the RV with Anna agreed to let me hold her toddler so she could go in the abortion center to try to talk her friend out of an abortion. The baby was perfectly content in my arms...till she saw Dwight. As soon as he walked near, she reached out for him and made it clear that she wanted to be held by that complete stranger.

The mama returned. She had been unable to convince her friend to leave. She shrugged and said it was "her body, her choice" and "God will forgive."  WELL, that of course had to be answered, so she and I had a long discussion about the sanctity of life and what it means to follow God. She didn't seem to feel that loving God entailed doing what He wants us to do. She agreed abortion was "selfish" but again, God would forgive.

"Do you know what an idol is?" I asked.
"Yes...a false God."
"Anything you put before God, and worship as more important than God is an idol," I told her, "And when you put self before God, and do what you want that is contrary to what God has commanded, you have become an idol. You have broken His first commandment, Thou shalt have no Gods before me."

This gave her pause. For once, she didn't answer about God forgiving. I hope she and her friend have some thoughtful discussions about God on the ride home, one with a baby in her womb, and one with a baby so recently violently ripped from her womb.

Another car driver stopped to talk to me in the road. She told me she wanted to be pregnant, but had just been in the Pregnancy Resource Center RV and discovered she was not. 
"Oh! So you are not here for an abortion?" I asked.
"No I would never do that. I am planning to get pregnant tonight!"

"I applaud you for understanding the value of life," I told her, "Are you married?"

"No."

"Do you love God?"

"Yes."

"Do you know what he says about sex outside of marriage?"

Amazingly, she stayed there and listened to me. I had Bible verses in my belly pack which I'd printed about purity, obedience, and willful sin. Pulling those out, I read to her and her friend. Surprisingly, both of them listened intently. By the end, they both agreed with me that God would not have them engage in sex without marriage. They looked troubled...convicted. I thanked them for stopping and talking with me for such a long time, and letting a total stranger speak with them about something that was not my business. 

 "See, I don't know you, and your personal life is none of my business. But God does know you and your personal life does matter to Him if you claim to love Him. May I pray with you?"
 They both nodded, and we prayed together, me kneeling on the street outside their car door.

I love this job.
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Ephesians 4:25 

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Proverbs 25:11 

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.

1 Peter 3:15 

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,