Today’s email:
In a recent talk during this 40 Days for Life
campaign, I mentioned that the pro-life movement
is made up of sinners.
We are all sinners ... and the pro-life effort
includes many who have had abortions, doctors who
have done abortions and thousands who at one point
sincerely defended abortion but are now pro-life.
Many know the pain of abortion — including men.
After my talk, a man with passion in his face and
tears in his eyes shook my hand and shared how his
past sin of abortion is still deep in his heart.
Men can play a large role in an abortion. They can
abandon women when they hear they’re pregnant. They
can encourage, and many times pay for, the abortion.
Their mistakes are real, but so is their pain.
Other fathers are told they have no rights, no voice
... and they can do nothing to stop an abortion. And
that, too, can hurt deeply.
Volunteers prayed as three young people walked into
the abortion center — a young man and his girlfriend,
plus another female friend whom they described as
verbally abusive. A short time later, the young man
walked out of the building, sat on the steps — and
stared at the signs the prayer volunteers were holding.
Before long, he told his story. His girlfriend was
pregnant. She already has a child and wants an
abortion — a decision her friend strongly supports.
The volunteers showed him fetal models, and he was
totally shocked at the level of development of a
12-week baby. He said his girlfriend promised she
would not abort if she was past 14 weeks ... but she
and her friend were quite angry with him for not
supporting the abortion.
The friend then got in her car and took off, stranding
the young man at the abortion center. One of the vigil
participants asked if the angry friend had previously
had an abortion. “How did you know?” the young man
asked. To those familiar with post-abortion pain, it
seemed a reasonable suspicion.
He went inside once again, where he learned that his
girlfriend was nine weeks pregnant and going ahead
with the abortion.
He came back out, “fell to his knees and dropped his
cell phone and cigarette and cried so many tears that
they wet the sidewalk,” the volunteer said. He kept
repeating, “It’s my baby, too!”
The young man was offered emotional support and
guidance, financial assistance — even a ride back
home. “Please pray,” said the volunteer, “that God
would somehow turn this tragedy into repentance and
a future that would glorify His name.”
Vigil participants often see a man walking his dog on
the sidewalk near the vigil. One day, one of the
volunteers simply said, “Good morning!”
The man walked down the street a bit, but then turned
around and walked over. “I want to tell you something,”
he said. “I know that I’m responsible for three of
them” — abortions — “and your sign that says ‘men
regret lost fatherhood’ is exactly right. I do regret
it ... and I want you to know I support what you’re
doing here.”
Another volunteer said all it took was a smile to get
the attention of a woman walking towards the abortion
facility. She walked over to the vigil participant,
who was standing next to a display that said “free
pregnancy tests and free ultrasounds.”
The woman said she was coming for a pregnancy test.
“I heard Planned Parenthood was the place to go,”
she said, adding that if she was in fact pregnant,
she wanted her baby.
The volunteer mentioned to her that Planned Parenthood
only offered sonograms to women who wanted an abortion.
The young woman quickly realized that Planned Parenthood
was NOT the place to go.
To see a picture of the vigil site in Austin, go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3526
Day 24 - October 19
Intention:
Pray that God will continue to bless the efforts that have gone into the 40 Days for Life campaign, as we trust Him for the results.
Scripture:
Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name.
-- Nehemiah 1:10-11
Reflection:
Nehemiah provides an awesome blueprint for volunteers in God's service, particularly those responding to the devastation abortion has caused our nation.
Nehemiah grieved for God's reputation as he witnessed the condition of the city walls of Jerusalem. The walls were broken down which was seen by neighboring people as a sign of weakness on the part of Jerusalem's God. No wall meant no security for the city and its people.
We learn from his story that he covered every detail in prayer; inspired others to join the cause; organized others to help do the work; confronted opposition directly and turned to God when discouraged; and finally celebrated what was accomplished and gave God all the glory!
Like Nehemiah, we must acknowledge God's sovereignty as we serve Him before a mocking world. We too need to be reminded that we are "fighting" for our families. We too must have an attitude of confession and repentance before a Holy God. We must pray for strength, refute slander, and not be diverted from our work.
Like Nehemiah, we will draw attention from the enemy when we are seeking to protect the well-being of God's people. We too must stand firm and seek God's help to persevere until the task is done. We too will be victorious.
Prayer:
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in heaven and in the earth is Yours. We pray for your continued guidance and protection throughout the remainder of this 40 day campaign. May we be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in Your work, knowing that our labor will not be in vain. We pray in the name of Jesus, amen.
Carmen Pate
40 Days for Life board of directors