Replies

Dennis DiMauro, Lutherans for Life

Intention:

We pray for the strength to love those

who do not love us.

Scripture:

But the Lord said “You have had pity on

the plant for which you have not labored,

nor made it grow, which came

up in the night and perished in the

night. And should I not pity Nineveh,

that great city, in which are more than

one hundred and twenty thousand persons

who cannot discern between their

right hand and their left, and much

livestock? Should I not be concerned

about that great city?”

—Jonah 4:10-11

Reflection:

God doesn’t value people and things

like we do. Jonah loved a shade tree

more than an entire city of sinful people.

We love our dogs more than a terrorist.

We love our cars more than a

beggar on the side of the road. And

sometimes, we love our money more

than a child growing in a desperate

teenager’s womb. But God isn’t like us.

Genesis 1 tells us that humans were the

capstone of God's creation.

We were created on the sixth day after

God had completed the land, the

stars, the plants and the animals.

Therefore, His love for us is greater

than His love for a plant, an animal, or

any other created thing.

And the book of Jonah tells us that He

loves even the most sinful people and

seeks to bring them into His merciful

arms. And it’s a love that seeks to touch

all of his created children: that desperate

teenager, the baby growing in her

womb, even tyrants and terrorists.

So it’s up to us to imitate God's merciful

love by helping and praying for those

who persecute us, and those who don’t

love us back.

Prayer:

Gracious God, loving our enemies

seems like one of most difficult things

you could ask of us.

Please remind us that this is how you

love and that if you ask it of us then

you will give us the grace to do it. This

we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

On Monday mornings during the campaign, we start the
week with the best news I can think of.

During this 40 Days for Life campaign, God is answering
prayers. So far, there have been ...

... 142 babies saved from abortion -- that we know of!

-----------------------------------------------------
TACOMA, WASHINGTON
-----------------------------------------------------

"Your prayers were answered as a young mother was
leaving Planned Parenthood," said John in Tacoma.
"She stopped in the driveway to talk with the sidewalk
counselor."

The young woman explained that she had decided not
to go through with the abortion. "Her boyfriend and
all parents were pressuring her to abort and she was
going to, but she explained that she had been in a
Christian school and knew that it was wrong so she
was changing her mind," John said.

He noted another day recently when Planned Parenthood
closed early -- and no one is sure why. "Two young
girls called across the parking lot to ask if we
knew why it was closed," he said.

"I noticed a white sheet of paper on the door and
asked them what it said. They replied that it just
said Planned Parenthood was closed." The prayer
volunteers gave the girls directions to a pro-life
pregnancy center.

-----------------------------------------------------
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
-----------------------------------------------------

A volunteer in Pittsburgh spent a good while talking
to a young girl and her boyfriend. "I gave her the
list of places to go for help and two other items.
Finally she hugged me and told me that she would
not have the abortion."

She and her boyfriend continued to hang around and
talk for quite a while. They left the area, but then
returned to eat lunch at a sandwich shop nearby.

"Each time she saw me she waved to me," the volunteer
said. "Please pray for her to keep her promise not to
abort. The guy was very quiet, but I could sense that
he was not really happy about how things turned out,
so he might try to pressure her."

-----------------------------------------------------
FOREVER GRATEFUL
-----------------------------------------------------

Here's a personal thank-you note a 40 Days for Life
team recently received:

"I wanted to thank you all for the 40 Days for Life.
My sister has been having a really hard time in her
life and then found out she was pregnant. She made a
hard decision that I was against -- to have an abortion.

"I tried everything to talk her out of it and she said
she felt like she didn't have any other options ... She
was scared about going through another pregnancy and
also raising another baby.

"She went to the clinic yesterday and when she pulled
up everyone was out there with signs and their own
children and it made her think about the decision she
had made to have an abortion and about the two little
girls she had at home.

"I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for
the time and effort you put in to saving lives and I
wanted to let you know you saved a life yesterday and
I am forever grateful."