Dan Miller always has a story to tell. But then again … God puts him in places where so much is happening!
Choose your metaphor. Dan’s on the front lines … in the eye of the storm … in the belly of the beast.
“I’m not shy about proclaiming my pro-life convictions on Facebook,” he said. “I get friend requests almost every day from people from all over the world. If we have even just a few friends in common, I’ll probably accept your friend request.”
Not long ago, he got a private message on Facebook – a man who’d seen Dan’s posts and wanted to do more himself.
A couple of weeks later, the man called and offered to volunteer at Pro-Life Wisconsin, where Dan is the state director. He also mentioned he was out of work.
So Dan asked him what he had done previously.
The man – Dan is calling him “John” to give him a bit of privacy – said he’d worked as a security guard. Dan asked him where.
“Planned Parenthood,” John said.
Dan’s jaw dropped. “What made you quit?”
“I didn’t really quit,” John answered. “I was fired, but gave them no choice. I needed the job, but I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
What made the difference? It was the many conversations he had with the people praying on the sidewalk outside Planned Parenthood.
“The one that affected me the most was this little old lady. One day we were talking, and I told her I was pro-life,” John said. “She said to me, ‘You’re not pro-life! Look at where you are earning a paycheck!’ She tore into me pretty good – like no one else had ever done. It was on that day that I stood up to my boss and said, no more!”
John told Dan he’d wrestled with the situation, and others had tried to convince him to find work somewhere else. “But that little old lady really got to me! She helped me to stand up for myself. Now I’m free.”
As they continued to talk, John said he’d see women inside the abortion center who were struggling with the whole notion of having an abortion. He had encouraged some of those women to leave and never come back. Some got out. Some did not.
“He saw the evil of Planned Parenthood up close and personal,” Dan said. “The cold indifference of the employees always shocked him.”
John often thought, “My God, what am I doing here?”
Dan encouraged John to return to the place where he’d once served as a security guard – and join the people on the sidewalk in prayer. “Let them know that you finally got out. They’ve been praying for you for a long time – they’d really appreciate it.”
He replied, “I’m kind of broke – but I would love to do that.”
Dan offered to drive – and maybe even buy lunch.
“I have a feeling John and I are going to become fast friends,” Dan said. “Praise God!”
