Thirsty Despair Quenched By Hopeful Truth

Photos by Daniel Parks, Cities4Life Director

We are at the sidewalks of the abortion center primarily to speak for the babies, but it is not the only reason we are there. We are open to all the ways God may desire to use us. Sometimes, it is in very unexpected ways.

I brought several bouquets of daisies, hoping to hand them out to women who chose life. I was able to hand a bouquet to one woman who chose life but none of the other women stopped for me. What was I going to do with all these flowers?  I had been so eager to hand them out to droves streaming from the abortion center with their babies still safe in their wombs.

A man stopped his car across the street from us, and told me he just wanted to tell us how glad he was that we were there. He was grateful we were standing up for the babies who could not stand up for themselves.
"Do you have a wife?" I asked.
"Yes," he said, after a pause. He was probably wondering if I was about to proposition him.
"Here. Give her these," I said, handing him a bouquet.
"Why thank you! I am on my way home to her now!"

Shortly after that, I noticed a woman pull her car over a short distance up the street from us. I walked over to the car. I asked if she was intending to go in the clinic, and she told me she was not, but that her daughter had informed her not long ago that she had aborted at that very clinic. Her daughter didn't tell her at the time of the abortion. In fact, a very long time passed before she revealed that sorrowful news.

The woman now began crying, telling me how deeply she mourned the death of the grandchild she never had a chance to meet. She has been coming to that street every day to park and pray since the terrible revelation. We talked for a long time. I believe God sent her to me to provide some sort of solace in this sad situation. When we finished talking, I handed her the bouquet of flowers.

"This is my memorial to your grandchild," I said. 

Everyone had left, and just Sherry and I remained on the sidewalk. By now, I clutched my last bouquet of daisies. It was well into the afternoon by this time. It was a good day, with two women choosing life. Sherry called out to the group of pro-choice escorts who often taunt and laugh at us. One young man with them was initially furious with us, screaming at us, telling us we were hypocrites and judgmental. He seemed ready to attack us. However, when he calmed down, Sherry was able to discover he was a single dad with sole custody of young kids. He was furious about all the talk about mothers...what about the dads??

I held up a bouquet.
"Are any of your kids girls?" I asked.
He nodded.
"Would you like to bring them some flowers?"
He came over, and gratefully took the flowers. Bit by bit, he softened and shared his story with us. he had endured a sad and difficult life. We shared the love of Jesus with him, and explained the truth of the Gospel. He knew Jesus, but thought he had to earn his way to heaven. I think he was relieved to learn that the Bible says we cannot earn our way to heaven. Only by faith and proclaiming Jesus is Lord, and believing He rose from the dead can we be saved. We talked a long time with him, and prayed with him when we finished. We noticed that another man sitting in a truck waiting for his girlfriend to abort was leaning out of his car window, intently listening the whole time.

Two birds for one hope-laced stone of truth!

As we said goodbye, the young man told us he wanted to return another day, just to talk with us some more.

I dumped the water out of my empty vase and watched it soak into the parched cracked dirt of the abortion center lawn. Petals drifted onto the sidewalk. You just never know what thirsty lives you might pour living water into if you stand on the spot God has asked you to occupy for Him...or what hopeful beauty might rise from despair.

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I will be conducting a training session this Thursday, May 18, 6-7:30 PM. If interested in joining us on weekday mornings bringing truth, hope, and light to a very dark place, please email me at vkaseorg@cities4life.com
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Jonah 2

2 ^1 [a]From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. ² He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
    and you listened to my cry.
³ You hurled me into the depths,
    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
    swept over me.
⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
    from your sight;
yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.’
⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me,^[b]
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.
⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.

⁷ “When my life was ebbing away,
    I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
    to your holy temple.