Not everyone likes 40 Days for Life, of course. But those who express their opposition often get unexpected reactions.
There are reasons why 40 Days for Life succeeds:
- It’s peaceful
- It’s prayerful
- It’s joyful
- It’s loving
And after a while, sometimes even the hardest of hearts start to soften.
Here’s what I mean.
Atlanta, Georgia
At the most recent 40 Days for Life campaign, the volunteers heard often from a staff member at a school near the abortion center. And it wasn’t very friendly.
He yelled at the volunteers … and said the extra cars that vigil participants parked in the area were a danger for the school’s clients.
The police said it was both safe and legal for them to be there, but that didn’t seem to matter.
One day, he sped towards the sidewalk and slammed his brakes hard. The skidding wheels sprayed gravel at the women who were peacefully praying.
They barely reacted. They just moved a bit so their signs were still visible from the street … kept on praying … and said nothing to the angry driver.
This man still didn’t give up, and convinced the county to make the entire section of the street a no-parking zone, which took away about half of the spaces the vigil participants were accustomed to using.
“We prayed much for him,” said Margarita, the 40 Days for Life coordinator in Atlanta, “for healing of whatever was causing such rage.”
This time around, it’s totally different. As he was driving to school one day recently, this same man – the guy with the angry voice and squealing tires – smiled and waved … and even spoke to the volunteers.
“He said he hopes some women will change their minds at the clinic this time,” Margarita said. “He looked amazed and embarrassed.”
What spurred the change in attitude?
He said he’d been researching “all this” and decided “it’s terrible.” He repeated the comment about hoping more women change their minds and said he hopes abortion will soon become illegal again.
“Praise God!” Margarita said. “Praying he comes to know the Lord if he hasn’t already.”
