Choosing the temporal or the eternal? Choices from the Sidewalk of Abortion Clinic

The wind was very strong on the river, gusts of over 15 mph, choppy waves, and thus arduous paddling. I enjoyed it, but an hour of battling the wind was all my muscles could take. I had launched from a protected cove on a creek off of the Catawba. At first, as I returned to dock, I thought I was too tired to kayak anymore. However, in the creek with the windbreak of trees closely canopied over the water, the water was calm. Instead of roaring wind, I heard birds all around me. I decided to paddle up the creek.

Beautiful purple blossoms of wisteria dripped from the low boughs of the trees, casting their fragrance across the water. As I paddled, I thought of two very difficult battles for the souls of two different women at the abortion center. It was eerily like the day before. The first could speak no English, just like the day before.  In both cases, the counselor who stopped the car called me over, not because I speak Spanish, but because I have a GREAT APP on my phone that does.

For half an hour, I carried on a conversation with the woman through the translator app. She was there to abort, but not eager to tell me her reasons. She was teary-eyed, and told me she knew God. When I asked what she felt God would have her do, she told me she didn’t  want to answer that question. I asked if struggle with a boyfriend was the reason to abort. She dropped her head, and more tears fell. Clearly, conflict filled this woman’s heart, but the pressure from a boyfriend was more compelling than obeying the God she claimed to know and love.

What a terrible tragedy to choose the temporal over the eternal!

Almost immediately, another woman stopped her car, eerily like the day before, right on the heels of the first woman. She did not cry as the first woman had, but she listened to us for half an hour. She also knew God, knew this was wrong, and was not eager to share her situation. My fellow counselor, Sherry and I, gave her all we knew to give. In the end, she pulled away, and into the abortion center, just like the first woman.

As I was getting ready to leave, the second woman pulled out. She told us she didn’t abort and drove away. One of the pro-choice ladies, who dances and sings while women flock into that place of death shouted to us, “She just forgot her ID!”

She didn’t want us rejoicing over a life saved.

However, perhaps she didn’t know we had an afternoon team that stayed till nearly the last car pulled away for the day.

While I was on those tranquil, heaven scented protected waters, I texted our afternoon team lead. Did the woman return, the one with whom we had struggled so mightily for the life of her child?

She did not return to the abortion center. The baby was still alive...and she had our literature with my name and number on it. If she needed resources, she would know how to find help. She had chosen the eternal over the temporal!

That is the real nature of CHOICE at the abortion center: life or death, good or evil, God or self, defiance or submission to the creator of heaven and earth, the eternal...or the temporal?

I thought how my day on the sidewalk had mirrored my time on my kayak. The bulk of the time was spent in ferocious battle, against headwinds that were so strong that my strength quickly failed me. But then, in the end, the peace and calm of the aftermath and victory in the presence of the God of all comfort and strength.

If we had not had the afternoon team, we would not have known if that baby was saved. While God would know, and that is all that really matters, it is an enormous encouragement to all of us on the sidewalk to see tangible fruit of our work. We are not always granted that blessing, but we rejoice when we are! We are working to raise afternoon teams for every abortion center every hour they are open. We need your help. 

MOST women feel conflicted. MOST do not know the resources available. MOST are hearing only voices urging death to their child. Will you help us stand for the unborn at that critical last moment, showing these women there IS a choice that leads to life and there is HELP and HOPE for them?

Click HERE to learn more about sidewalk ministry.

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1 John 1:1-10 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ...