Praying God Would Tell Me What to Do...Why Didn't He Answer? Or Did He?

Our Cities4Life tentacles of help extend so much further than Charlotte. Yesterday, I was on a walk when I got a phone call from a stranger who lives nearly three hours away. She sounded scared, and tentative, but told me she had met someone who had heard about our ministry, and that I had helped that woman when she chose life over abortion. This woman, 'J', had a long sad story but wondered if I might be able to help her.

The story was a common one. J had all the typical dreams of a happy life, marriage to a great guy, wonderful kids...but along the way, met a man who basically used her. And when she discovered she was pregnant, he magnanimously gave her money...and orders...to abort.

She went to the abortion clinic, but really didn't want to abort. However, what else could she do? Still in school, no savings, minimum wage job, and a boyfriend who would leave if she didn't kill her baby. She prayed and prayed, asking God, "What should I do?"

"But He wouldn't answer," she told me, "I prayed over and over, what should I do??? Tell me God. All I could hear Him say in my heart was, 'You know what to do.'  Why wouldn't He tell me??"
"He did answer," I said, "He did tell you. He told you to do what you knew you should do."
"But how would I know? How can we tell what God wants us to do?"
"He wrote it for you," I said. "Thou shalt not murder. He also said to protect the defenseless, speak for the voiceless. Do not harm the innocent. All humans are made in the image of God and thus valued by God. He said woe to those who would cause any of His little ones to perish. He did tell you."

This led to a discussion of God. J had rebelled against God after several  beloved family members died. She grew bitter, and depressed. God became a source of fear. What else would she lose? She didn't know if she would go to heaven or not, and as a little girl struggled with overwhelming fear that she would never know when she had crossed the line from good enough to not good enough for God to love her. Then the boyfriend left. She was alone, pregnant, and hopeless.

An abortion worker saw her despair, and told her maybe abortion was not the answer. She put her in touch with the woman who I had been helping, telling her maybe that lady will help you too. That's what led her to call me.

First, we talked more about God. I assured her that she did not need to ever fear if she was good enough for God to love her again. God loves her immeasurably, in fact died for her while she was still an unrepentant sinner...as He did for all of us. He longs that no one should perish but that all should come to Him. And yes, her sin and all our sin separates us from God. As a perfect judge, He must punish sin and the penalty for sin is death, eternal separation from God. But since He is also perfectly merciful and loving, He provided a substitute to pay the penalty on our behalf. That substitute is Jesus.

Jesus had to be sinless, or He would have to pay His own penalty and thus be unable to pay ours. Though He never sinned, He took the penalty of the sin of the world upon Himself, and willingly died to restore us to a righteous relationship with God. When He rose from the dead, He defeated Satan and death once and for all. Our sin, all of it, present, past, and future, was paid in full. We did not have to earn our way to heaven, nor could we. God made an incredible offer to redeem us: we could accept Christ' sacrifice for us, or we could reject it. If we accepted it, we need no longer fear that it could be taken from us. We were saved by Jesus blood on our behalf, and we would be in heaven when we died. Perfect Justice and Mercy and Love were simultaneously satisfied.

We talked two hours, but that is the management summary. She said she wanted to pray to ask Jesus to be Lord of her life. So we did. And then I told her all the things we could do to help her.

"Do you feel better?" I asked her.
"Yes, but I don't know what to say. I don't believe total strangers would help me."
"Join a good church and you will be surprised how much people will want to help you," I urged her.

I had her write her needs for me, and I posted them on Facebook. I quickly got offers from folks who would send donations for gift cards. Within minutes, I got a call from an amazing woman who wants to run her baby shower and get her everything she will need for the first two years of the baby's life. She begged me to let her do this!!!

And then three women responded within minutes to my plea to find a mentor and a church in her area that would guide, befriend, and love her. Within minutes I had a church, a pastor contact, and a family willing to embrace this young lady and help her know she was not alone on this journey.

Folks, THAT is the love of God. That is His abundant, lavish provision working through those that love Him. That is what the church is supposed to be. That is Jesus in the lives of His saints. THAT is God's answer to the evil in this world. YOU. ME. ALL of us serving others in the name of Christ and being obedient to His call.
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To volunteer with our incredible life-saving, life-changing ministry, please click Here.
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Isaiah 55:6-7 

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Reclaiming the Rainbow, A Message of Hope

It was pouring rain yesterday while we were on the sidewalks of the abortion center. My counselor friend and I both pulled out our rainbow umbrellas...well...mine is an umbrella hat. It didn't keep much rain off of me, but it made some of the clients laugh. The pro-choice escorts and advocates probably would have laughed too, except when the rain started they all fled. That was somewhat ironic since the escorts use rainbow umbrellas to block our message and shield the women from our cruel offers of help, baby showers, resources, free medical care, etc.  In the one instance where the umbrellas would be used for the purpose they were designed, the conditions must have been too rough for the pro-choice crowd to remain.

However, we remained. I'm glad we did. Three women chose life and two stopped to talk with us and were able to receive our name/numbers and option to contact us in need. One really didn't want to abort but had medical fears. We offered a second opinion from one of our amazing partner doctors for FREE. The boyfriend wasn't interested, but the woman took our names and number. We pray she calls. Despite being soaking wet and chilled to teeth-chattering numbness, we were elated. We had reclaimed the message of the rainbow from the pro-choice rainbow umbrella distortion.

See, the rainbow was sent as a promise, a message from God after the Flood that He would never again flood the whole earth. It is a message of Hope, of God's promise, and of His redemption after the storm. How perverted that the rainbow umbrellas of the abortion center escorts should be used to walk innocent babies in the womb to their violent deaths.

So we remained, and obeyed God, and found joy in His promises as we shivered under our rainbows.

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Genesis 9:12-13

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

Isaiah 54:8-10

In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer. “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

If Choice is So Important, Why Are They Blocking it?

Monroe Help Pregnancy Center was at the abortion center yesterday developing a video of how they help moms who choose life over abortion. They provide the RV that parks on the curb and provides free pregnancy tests and free ultrasounds to the abortion-minded women. The overwhelming number of women who see their baby on the ultrasound choose life. It is why the prochoice crowd and the abortion center abhor any chance of a woman stepping into our RV. While the videographer was interviewing one of our Cities4Life counselors, Paul a "pro-choice" advocate at the center did everything he could to ruin and disrupt the video.

One of the moms we work with who chose life was part of the videotaping. She had just seen her twins on the mobile ultrasound unit, and was overflowing with joy. We met K about a month or so ago. She was in an abusive situation, and felt she had no choice but to abort. She admitted that had she not met us and the incredible wealth of help and resources we offered, she would have aborted, and then probably killed herself. We helped her in every area of her life, including walking her to the saving knowledge of Christ which turned her life around.

She told me that when she had the mandatory counseling by the abortion center to be sure of her "choices", it consisted of one sentence: do you know what termination of the pregnancy means?

When she saw what Paul was doing to the videographer, she told me, "I want to show that man my baby ultrasound photos." She boldly walked over and told Paul these were her babies and she had just seen them and was overjoyed that she chose life.

"Great," he said, " I am glad you had that choice."

While I had been calling out to the women entering the clinic yesterday, Paul was honking and making strange sounds like a duck to try to drown me out. He taunted and ridiculed and tried to shout over me and my counselor friends. He told car drivers not to stop and talk with us.

Now, as K showed him the pictures, she said, "I was glad they showed me my options! I had no idea I had any option but abortion."

He repeated, "I'm glad you had that choice."
"I don't think you understand," I said, "If you had been there when K arrived you would have done everything in your power to block her ability to hear about those options...those options that saved her baby and her own life."
"They really helped me," K told him, "Everything they promised they really did. They showed me so many resources and offered so much help.'

"Call me in seven years when your kids need orthodontic work...we'll see what you do then..." Paul said.
"OK!" K said,, "What's your name and number?"
"I'm not giving you my name and number," Paul said.
"Oh! I thought you were concerned about me and my babies and wanted to stay in touch?"

Paul responded by continuing to be sure the videographer could not interview our counselor.

So much for "choice." So much for truly caring about the women.

And for the record, Paul, K has OUR names and OUR numbers as do all the moms Cities4Life helps. They CAN call at any time, and we WILL continue to point them to help and resources to the best of our ability for as long as they need it.
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2 Thessalonians 2:13 

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

The Delight of Doing Hard Things

Here I am having finished 3 miles of wonderful rapids on the Catawba after carting my kayak behind my bike to the launch site upstream. 

I received numerous comments as I huffed and puffed along the paved bike trail that hugged the Catawba River shore towing my kayak behind my bike. The river was high and fast, so I was a little nervous as I peddled along, my kayak behind my bicycle slowing me to my granny gear as I climbed the three hills on the bike trail. Would I be able to make it over all those rapids? I LOVE nature, but I am not a risk taker, I am not brave, and I am not eager to die quite yet.

Several people told me this was a GREAT idea as I passed them lugging the heavy kayak behind me. When I could breathe, I said, "We will see. If I make it to the end of the trail, and then I manage to stay afloat over all the rapids, then it will be a great idea."

It was NOT super easy hauling my kayak. However, I was very proud of my do it yourself kayak trailer and I did manage to make it to the launch site at the end of the bike trail. I locked my bike and cart to the bike rail, then hauled my kayak to the water. Some fishermen had warned me that they saw SEVERAL kayaks get upended over the first rapids and fill lickety-split with water. They told me to cross the river immediately and traverse the left bank rapids which were calmer and more shallow. DULY NOTED.

ready or not rapids...here I come....PS: lifejacket donned for rapids

As you can see from the videos, that was FAST water. I was pretty scared much of the time, but scary as it seemed, the water was only a foot or less deep in most places. I was not going to die, in all likelihood. After the first twenty minutes, I was beginning to relax and REALLY enjoy the adventure.


When I made it to the end of the 3-mile run, I glanced over my shoulder to see all I had done. A bald eagle was soaring above the river. I paddled back upstream to watch him, but he quickly disappeared.

Since I believe God is always speaking to me and imparting spiritual wisdom through the symbols of the day, I reflected upon the lessons of this beautiful day:

1. Sometimes doing very frightening things, even risky things, is well worth it. For example,  I was TERRIFIED by the thought of ever speaking to abortion minded women on the sidewalks of the abortion center, but now it is one of the most rewarding, joyful things I do!
2. You never know if you can do hard things until you do them. Again, as I reflect on some of the terrifying circumstances I faced in breast cancer, my sidewalk volunteer work at the SE's busiest abortion center, and my family's struggles, I can not believe I survived. But I did, and my faith is so much stronger because I went through all those hard things and felt God's continual comfort and presence.
3. Losing everything is not really everything if you cling to God. And if you cannot cling to Him, He can cling to you.
4. Doing things you have never done brings excitement to life. It is easy to grow lazy and complacent, especially as we grow older. I never imagined I would lead strangers to Jesus, speak in front of a packed City Council Chamber about the blessed sanctity of unborn life, or help a homeless couple save their unborn baby and get married....but what incredible memories and excitement about what God will do next all those unexpected new ventures helped bring to me.

As I drifted to the take out point after my wild ride down the river, I decided I might have to do it again one day.

If you want to try something hard that you can't imagine yourself ever doing please click HERE to volunteer with Cities4Life speaking for the unborn at the busy abortion center. Or just drop by...3220 Latrobe. Our team will be there  every day but Sunday when, inexplicably, they close their doors to the slaughter.
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John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

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.”

God's Symbols Are SO Obvious Sometimes

I saw the bald eagle again, soaring high above me as I kayaked up against the rapids on the section of the Catawba River that is my new favorite place. I made it much more easily up against the rapids this time than I did a couple of days ago so I am either getting stronger or learning the best pathway. However, when I hit the Class Two rapids, I made no headway. I could not get over them against the current.

I am not defeated forever, but did give up for the day. I paddled as hard as I could and was just stationary in the water. Next time I will try a different path. This time, I turned my boat, and raced downstream at a really exciting, fun pace.

Of course, I sought the symbolism of the day. I love symbols, and that is often how God speaks to me. I was sitting in the froth of the rapids, trying desperately to go against the strong force of the current racing against me over the barely submerged rocks. I was not making any headway, and I was working as hard as I could not to lose ground.

Life is like that sometimes. I noticed my bank account has been like that lately. No sooner do I start to save when a major expense comes up... like a mouthguard that is NOT covered by insurance but is absolutely necessary for a massive tooth grinder and jaw clencher like me. How much could that be, you ask? Don't ask. It would make you start grinding your own teeth.

Back to my symbol.

Now I could sit in the froth of the rapids wearing myself out till every ounce of strength was gone while I made NO progress. Or I could reassess. I could decide that perhaps my energy might be better used elsewhere. I could choose to tackle a different route upstream albeit with depleted energy. Or I could decide that for now, I was not going to travel forward, and it was best to enjoy the ride back to shore and reconsider the wisdom or even possibility of the endeavor.

This is a TRUE story I am about to tell. While I was out there battling the current, I got a phone call. My phone is mounted on my kayak. I answered it on speaker phone while huffing and puffing against the current.  I was asked to do something that seemed impossible, but I really felt it needed to be done, so I agreed. I was all set to do it. It involved a confrontation I was NOT eager to have. However, I rarely shirk from anything I feel I need to do. But, I just couldn't quite manage to dial the number. I was stuck in the froth of the rapids, paddling against a feeling that would not let me go. Was this confrontation wise? Godly? Might it even cause more harm than good?

So I held my ground, paddling as hard as I could not to be blasted backwards, and I prayed. Then I sought the counsel of a Godly person I respect who suggested perhaps it was not my place to confront in that situation. I agreed. I was swept away with relief. It felt just like skimming along with the current back to shore. I no longer needed to go against the impossible deluge of the rapids. I Let Go and Let God carry me swiftly with the current to fight that upstream battle another day.

God often works this way in my life. He sends symbols that are laughingly obvious in parallel to some struggle I am enduring. It is one of the million or so reasons that I know God loves me and is personally interested in me. And if He is personally interested in me, I guarantee He is personally interested in you.
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Psalm 23:1-6 

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ...

A BIG Reason to Be Certain You Go To Heaven

Dogs seem to be a theme this week...one woman's salvation hinged on a concern regarding dogs...

I will get to that story....

But first, yesterday our Cities4Life team dealt with three of the major reasons we are there on the sidewalks of the busiest abortion center in the Southeast:
1. One baby was saved that we know of.
2. One woman who felt God was a "force" and all religions are the same heard the truth of the Gospel and left saying she believed most of what had been shared was "true".
3. One woman had an abortion and stopped to talk with us because she was sad and wanted our post-abortive literature and words of comfort and offers to help.

This is why I love Cities4Life. So many vital needs are addressed and so many wounded, hurting, confused people are helped.

I listened to a wonderful Apologetics tape before heading out to the sidewalk. I have been exchanging texts for several weeks now with a woman who chose life instead of abortion and is now coming (slowly) to think the whole Jesus story might be real. She believed that God created the universe, but that was the end of His involvement with His creation. The tape I listened to gave me food for thought that I shared with the woman.

Basically, it boiled down to this. If God created the universe, it is clear He intervened in the laws of nature at least once. In fact, He is the law-giver who created the laws of nature. If He intervened once, He could intervene again. And He could do so in any miraculous way He chose. He wrote the laws of nature. He certainly must be outside of them and greater than them. He doesn't need to follow them if He doesn't want to. He could have formed a baby in a virgin, wholly human and wholly God and He certainly, as Creator, would have the right to determine by what means His creation could gain access to Him.

I sent that to her in more detail. She responded with a brief "Thank you."

While that was not the enthusiastic response I was going for, the door is still open. At least she responded and at least she didn't tell me to stop harassing her. Besides, in sharing what I believe is the ONLY hope of eternal life I have everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

Now this is one of dozens of texts we have exchanged, and the first few were a clear presentation of the Gospel. These later texts are continuing thoughts challenging her concern that why would the creator of the universe have the slightest interest in a relationship with humans. That is a good question, and I am having fun trying to answer it.

The woman I shared the gospel with yesterday on the sidewalks of the abortion center had a MUCH easier concern. Our discussion was nudging her closer and closer to admitting the Gospel might really be true, but something bothered her. She told me it was a silly question really, but very important to her.

"Let me ask you," she said, leaning close with great interest etched on her face, "Do you think dogs go to heaven?"
"Absolutely!" I said, "The Bible is filled with descriptions of animals in heaven. Horses, the lion and the lamb...I have no doubt dogs go to heaven. And in my mind, that is reason enough to make certain you will be there too."

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Philippians 3:7-8 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ...

Isaiah 11:6-9

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Revelation 5:13

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”