A Prolife Message with a Twist

One of the pro-choice folks out at the abortion center (where I speak on behalf of the babies) is a dog lover. I noticed she has dog decals on her car. While she has been extremely angry with me in the past since our world views are diametrically opposed, when I approached her to ask about her dog decals, she softened instantly. I told her I too loved dogs, and one very special dog had completely captured my heart. She went from cussing at me, to listening to me intently.

I shared my story of my beloved rescue dog, Honeybun, and how we snatched her from the jaws of death only to have her turn vicious when her health was restored. Then I told my new friend,"D", about the incredibly difficult year of trying to save Honeybun. Everyone told me to have her euthanized. No one thought she could be redeemed.

But I couldn't give up on her. Over that year, there were two overwhelming messages from God: nothing is irredeemable, and don't give up. I am an animal lover and believe all life is precious. The experience with Honeybun led me to write my first book, I'm Listening with a Broken Ear,  and was the spring-board to my career as an author. When I told D this, she asked where she could get my book.

I was flabbergasted. This was someone that has come so close to me with raging anger and vile words that I was afraid she might assault me. Not only was D true to her word, but each day when I saw her on the opposite side of the abortion battle at the sidewalks of the abortion center, she told me about how much she was enjoying my book. She would tell me where she was in the plot, and I would share some tidbits about that specific time in the true life journey.

Then a car would pull up to enter the abortion center lot, and I would pause mid-sentence in my discussion with D to beg the woman to come on our free ultrasound and look at her baby's beating heart. D would tell the woman to drive in to the center and ignore me as I was only there to evangelize and take her on a "fake ultrasound" RV.

D rescues and loves border collies. During one of our discussions between our battles on the sidewalk, D told me she would love to make signs to guide women into the abortion clinic, but she couldn't draw at all. I told her I am an artist, but much as I loved her, I would not draw her such a sign.

"But I would draw you a dog," I said.

That night, I went home exhausted. I'd been at the abortion center nearly the whole day. A woman had decided to come on our RV just as my Cities4life team was preparing to leave. I will always stay if it means a baby might be saved! The woman saw her baby on our "fake ultrasound", and chose life.

After finishing counseling, the paperwork, and some errands, it was almost dinner time when I finally settled into my recliner at home. I just wanted to relax, but the discussion with D would not leave my heart.

I pulled out my watercolor set and painted D a picture of a border collie. Then I searched the Bible for dog references looking for one that would not offend D, but would still say what I hoped to say. I found this one from Ecclesiastes, and wrote it on the back of D's picture:

I thought that passage made the point that it is in LIFE that we have hope. There is no hope in death.

Yesterday, D was training a whole new group of pro-choice people. I can't imagine the terrible things she was saying about our group who speak so vigorously offering hope, help, and the Gospel to the abortion-minded women. I knew she viewed our mission in a different light than we did. I walked over to the group who eyed me suspiciously. It was like crossing enemy lines in the midst of a raging war.

"This is for you," I said, handing the dog painting to D.
She looked at it, and threw her arms around me. "I love this!" she said.
Later, she passed by me as I was calling out to women and stopping cars (which drives her bonkers) and told me, "I liked the verse on the back."

When women see their babies on the ultrasound, they overwhelmingly choose life. It is why the abortion center is so careful to turn the ultrasound screen away so the mothers cannot see their babies. The ultrasound image makes the humanity of the baby unmistakable. It is hard to harm someone when her humanity is so clearly revealed. Through our mutual love of dogs, I think D and I saw a little past our divergent world views to each other's humanity.

Every soul is important to God, and loved by Him. Every pro-choice person, much as I vehemently hate what they do there and what they stand for, is a soul that is precious to God. Therefore, they are precious to me. And as my dear Honeybun taught me, no one is irredeemable with God, and never give up.
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Should I press my luck and ask her to read my book about being a pro-life sidewalk counselor - Singing in the Darkness?
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John 15:12

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.