Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Who Is Bullying Who? Pro-life Ponderings



I dressed for the cold. My team and I would be on the sidewalk of the abortion center four hours Monday and it was maybe 20 degrees out. It wasn't too terrible when the sun was shining. When the sun disappeared, we suffered. Even with ski mittens, fur hat, scarf, two wool sweaters, wool socks, ski pants, fur-lined boots, and a down parka designed for the coldest cold possible.

Sadly, the abortion-minded mother's hearts were frozen too. There were no babies saved as far as we know. That is always heartbreaking, especially because it was very busy. We did give out some literature and have brief interactions with a few people. The "pro-choice" escorts confiscated a couple of the booklets we handed out to the moms. So much for "pro-choice." They are pro-choice as long as the choice is abortion. God forbid the moms should read anything that might change their minds.


Nonetheless, there were some wonderful moments there in the bitter cold. Daniel, the Cities4Life director, is a powerful speaker and he gave a wonderful sermon on the mic. Chrissy, who has been on the sidewalk for years, maintained loving compassion in the face of constant derision from the angry people. A young man, Elijah, came for the first time to join us on a Monday. His heart overflows with the love of Jesus. It pours out of him, and I know the women, abortion-minded or not, had to have felt the sincere love of Jesus he shared with them. It was wonderfully encouraging to see a young man so impassioned about God. Gives me hope for humanity. I handed him the microphone and urged him to speak.
"I don't know anything...," he said, "Just the Gospel."
"Just the Gospel will be fine."
I love humility coupled with deep faith.


And then, one of the "pro-choice" escorts, thinking she was insulting and intimidating me, asked if I liked being a bully, little old me publishing my "silly horse books" which I couldn't pay her to read. I smiled, told her I pray for her, and what a thrill it was that my silly horse books had been #1 on Amazon. She didn't want to chat anymore after that.

I was really cold when we finally decided we had frozen our bodies as much as we were able. I blasted the car heater and drove home. It took a heating pad, a cup of hot tea, a large bowl of hot soup, and finally a hot bath to warm me back up.

I thought about what the pro-choice escort had said. Did I enjoy being a bully? This question came from someone who blocks the women arriving at the center from being able to see us using a big umbrella. When she can, she confiscates the literature we give them with our names, list of resources, and verses as well as rationale to choose life rather than abortion. If they linger to talk with us, she yells at us and at them to move on. Then she hurries them into a building where their babies will have no choice and will die a violent death with no one allowed near to speak on their behalf. When the women leave the center, the pro-choice escort pulls them aside and tells them not to stop and talk with us on the way out.

We are all called to a divine purpose. We can expect derision, rejection, anger, and insults whenever we take a stand for God. Walking in obedience to God is not a popular message, particularly when it conflicts with our plans.

I am determined to present His message as lovingly as I can, always offering tangible help to show we are not just talk, but intend to walk with these struggling women. I wonder if any of the pro-choice escorts help the women after the devastation of abortion? I wonder who is the one bullying in God's eyes?

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Charlotte area people: one of the moms I work with who chose life is expanding her home cleaning and organizing business. If you need home cleaning, closet/kitchen/clothes organizing, and want to help a mom who chose life over abortion, please email me at vickychooseslife@yahoo.com
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Ezekiel 3:17-19 

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.



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