I work with some of the kindest people on earth with our Cities4Life teams. I have been on the Monday team for nearly four years now, and Sarah, the woman in the photo above has been with me nearly all that time. Sarah is very gentle, very quiet, and very soft-spoken. She recently completed our training to counsel women who choose life on our mobile ultrasound RV. However, thus far she had not had the opportunity to counsel someone on the RV.
Around 10:30, I asked her, "If we are fortunate enough to have a woman choose life who will go on the RV, would you like to counsel her?"
Sarah paused. I could see she was nervous about the thought.
"I can go on with you if you like, or I can counsel and you watch," I said, "But I really believe you would do just fine."
"Maybe on a day when I have more time," she said, noting that her sister had to leave a little early.
"How about if the woman shows up by 11?" I asked.
She nodded after a brief pause.
At 11:00, a car pulled out from the abortion center parking lot.
"Did you change your mind?" I asked the driver.
"I did," she said, "I was listening in my car to you on the microphone and the people in the abortion center told us you all were mean...but you are not. You all sounded so nice."
"Would you like an ultrasound?" I asked her.
"Oh no...I need to get going," she said.
She pulled over so I could give her a gift. I listed some of the things we could do to help her, and then she said, "You could do an ultrasound...and give me the baby's picture?"
"Sure," I said."Let's do it!"
"I will go on with you to introduce you to our nurse," I told her, "But we have another counselor who I think will be on there with you."
I introduced M to the nurse, Sherry, and then hurried out to Sarah.
"Would you like to counsel?" I asked.
Sarah took a deep breath and nodded.
By the time I usually head home, they were still on the RV. I know Sarah had said she needed to leave, but her sister said it was ok. I had given M my phone number so I could help with immediate needs. I knew Sarah would fill me in later. I went home rejoicing. THREE moms had chosen life! Three babies were alive that might not be if we hadn't been there!
That afternoon, M called me. She told me a most remarkable story. She said she had listened to me on the microphone for the first half hour while she waited in her car for the center doors to open. The words about God convicted her, she told me, "resonating in my soul." She had heard all of us calling out throughout the morning, offering hope and help. Despite the "pro-choice" people warning her that we were "evil", she found us to be kind and gentle.
She went in to the abortion center. M described her experience there:
"Everyone was so glum, so sad. I went back for my required ultrasound. The ultrasound technician was rude and grumpy. And then as she did the ultrasound, something flitted across her face. I knew she'd seen something but she didn't say anything. I told her, 'Show me the ultrasound screen.' But the technician refused. She said, 'NO, we are not allowed to.' "
NOT ALLOWED to show the patient the ultrasound of the baby, which they paid for, even if the mother requested she see it? In my opinion, this HAS to be illegal. But I digress....
"Then I'm done," M said. She dressed and went to the front desk to request her money back.
They would not refund $185, saying that was for the office visit and ultrasound. If she wanted the abortion later on, they would not charge her the $185 again.
Afterwards, M told me about her time on the Monroe HELP Pregnancy Center RV talking with Sarah and our nurse, Sherry. M told me she loved them so much. "They were all so gentle, so kind...nothing like the people in the abortion center." Then she told them about a dream she had the night before. "I dreamed that the ultrasound nurse told me, 'Are you sure you want to abort? There might be more than one in there!' "
Sherry laughed when M told her the dream. "Well, let's go do the ultrasound and see."
I interrupted M's story here. "Did you think God sent you the dream? Do you believe in God?"
"Oh yes! I do believe in God...He is my Lord and savior. I went to the abortion center because so many things in my life were falling apart. I just didn't know what else to do. I didn't feel I had any choice! So I convinced myself I had to do it. Anyway, we went back for the ultrasound. Sherry got very quiet, and then tears started streaming down her face. There were twins! Just like in my dream. We all cried. All of us."
Later Sarah texted me. She told me she loved M and even thanked me for "gently pushing" her to counsel. I LOVE Sarah, and I love how God works. I love Cities4Life, and I love being a part of something so much bigger than I can imagine. And I love that when an ultrasound screen shows two living human babies, we gaze with the mama in awesome wonder rather than turn it away from her lest she change her mind.
Four babies saved yesterday!
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1 Timothy 1:17
To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due
to change.
A good God working through His people!
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