A Lesson On Fresh Perspectives and Not Giving Up!

Every Monday my Cities4Life team and I are on the sidewalk of the busy abortion center pleading for the babies' lives and offering hope and help. But not today! The abortion center is closed!

Instead, I had a new problem to solve. Since I am not convinced I can ever kayak upstream against the strong rapids as far as I would like in order to fully enjoy the downstream ride back, I brainstormed how I could get my kayak past the rapids. The 3-mile ride down those fun rapids begins at a park, and the take-out point is at another park. The parks are connected by a paved bike trail. If I could park at the lower park and bicycle while somehow trailing my kayak behind me to the upper park, I could independently go kayaking and run the rapids WHICH WOULD BE SO MUCH FUN. I could lock my bike at the upper park, kayak to the lower park, load my kayak in my car, and drive to the upper park to retrieve my bike. Easy peasy.

However, how to pull the kayak behind my bike? I looked for such carts on line and they begin at a minimum of $200 and go up to $2000. I already have a kayak cart which I use to walk while pulling my kayak behind me. I also already have a bicycle cart in which I used to strap my young children when I went for bike rides. It attaches securely to my bike and served me well carting two children behind me. Surely, I could combine the two carts I already had and make a kayak cart for a bicycle.

I called my husband over to videotape after I constructed my homemade bike kayak trailer. That is the video above. It worked!!! And as soon as he cut short the video, it stopped working. The cart was too heavy for the little folding bike and it cut into my spokes each time I tried to turn. I would have to scrap the whole idea.

I put everything away with a heavy heart. Back inside, feeling a little sorry for myself, I had another idea. I would use my full size bike and attach the kayak with a different strap so it could pivot slightly reducing the stress on my bike as I turned. I was sweating and achy by the time I reconstructed my cart with my fresh perspective. This time it worked!! And it continued to work on my test ride up and down the street.

So today, the abortion center is closed and I have a free day that would otherwise be spent begging mothers to please not kill their babies and we would help them overcome their obstacles. Instead, I will be testing out my new kayak cart. Report back tomorrow to see if it works....

In a way, God was demonstrating a truth that could be applied to those desperate mothers' lives. An obstacle faced me, albeit not as serious an obstacles as the women face who think they must abort. Nonetheless, some of the same principles apply.

My problem appeared insurmountable. In fact, I tried my best and failed. Better to just throw the whole newly formed idea in the garbage. I was despairing because I could not do what I so desperately wanted to do. So I rested from my task, and pondered...even prayed. The vision of what could be if I didn't give up kept appearing in my mind. Lo and behold, with a fresh perspective and time to reconsider, a new plan arose. I decided the original 'baby' was too precious to toss away, and came up with a new solution that allowed me to keep it!

Do you see the parallel? So often the moms we encounter believe they have one choice. Abortion. They face too many seemingly impossible obstacles so they choose the only solution they think can work. Throw out the baby. However, with a little time, reflection, and prayer, they can come to the realization that the baby is valuable. The problem is worth solving. That's where Cities4Life sidewalk counselors are so important. We have worked with many moms over the past decade and have an extensive list of resources, not to mention the life-affirming truth of the Gospel that the baby is of infinite value to God and no obstacle justifies throwing him away like garbage. There are always better choices. It is worth working to find them. We help them. We help them to look past the obstacles, not give up, and keep the God-ordained vision of an eternal and glorious future before them.

That's why every Monday, my team and I are on the sidewalks of the abortion center.

But not today!

Today, instead of a day of killing, there will hopefully be a day of kayaking. I praise God for this reprieve and pray that there will come a day when i can retire from my work at the abortion center sidewalks because there will be no more abortions. That would be even more thrilling than running the rapids in my kayak!
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Revelation 21:4 

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”