Time flies! Can't believe we are already 3/4 of the way through. Just wanted to share some updates from folks so far, and some encouragement as we head into the last quarter of 40 days!
First the updates:
First the updates:
I got this from Pastor Josh and Pastor Bill from Jackson Prairie Assembly of God who go out on Tuesday mornings!
"For the first time we actually had someone throw something at us! It was a small chocolate pastry. You can see it in the pics where John is squatting down by the road. Aside from the flying bar of calories, we had a lot of positive response this morning. As of the time I’m writing this to you we still have a group out there pray’n."
Pastor Bill said they were blessed to have some good interactions with folks too! Praise the Lord!
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| Too bad they didn't throw it out with the wrapper still on it. :-) |
On Sunday when my family and I were out there, my brother Kyle was blessed to speak to someone about abortion and the Lord! He says:
"So please pray for my new friend S.! I saw him several times over the course of 40 Days for Life. He walks on our patch of sidewalk to buy some snacks at the corner market across the street, and I have always tried to be friendly when he walks by in hopes that he'll engage in a conversation. Well, this time I commented on how his M n M's were a great snack choice, and he chuckled and said thank you. . . but kept walking. Well, about fifteen minutes later I see him coming back down the sidewalk, and he made eye contact and started talking with me!! S. calls himself a Christian and anti-abortion, but he is definitely very post-modern in his thinking and doesn't believe much of anything about God's Word. However, we talked a lot about moral absolutes, when life begins, the choice of saving sex for marriage, the authority of God's Word on morality and the truth, and a rabbit trail on video games that was rather random and unfortunate. I feel like God gave me just the words to say and the scripture to quote right when I needed them! I know some seeds were planted, and I sure hope to get to talk to him more before the campaign ends! One thing I regret is that I didn't get to share the gospel completely with him! I want to fix that!! Please, please pray that God would give S. a hunger for learning more about him, and that God would draw him to Himself. . . maybe even through me!"
Kyle has been faithfully fasting and praying for this chance to speak to someone on the sidewalk. He has a real heart for people. . . just like my dad, and he was SO excited to be given this opportunity!
". . . and whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." Mtt 21:22 "Therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:24
I had a couple opportunities to speak with folks recently and I'll just briefly share a few that stick out to me.
Last Friday I was standing near the entrance/exit of PP again. The parking lot had filled up, so a woman had to park across the street at the Auto Parts store and had to walk right by me to get to PP. "Hello there, are you doing ok?" I asked her. She responded, "Oh hi. Yes, I'm fine - I'm just getting birth control." She then proceeded to say she is personally against abortion, but believes it should be allowed in the case of rape. I'm still learning the best way to respond to this objection. A way that communicates compassion for rape victim, the desire for justice to be done, and yet the defense of the innocent life who is also a victim of rape. The book Love Unleashes Life by Stephanie Gray has been an invaluable resource for me, and so I responded much the same way she encourages us to do in her book.
"I understand ma'am. I agree, rape is a horrible injustice and trauma to the woman and I think she deserves the best healthcare, and the utmost love and compassion from her friends, family and community to help her heal. And I believe the rapist must be held to the fullest extent of the law for his crimes."
She nods.
I ask, "Can I ask you a question?"
Then gently, "Do you think the tragic violence of rape justifies the tragic violence of abortion?"
Immediately she responds, "NO. That doesn't justify it. . . nothing does."
(I think, wow this question works! Second time I've had a conversation and this question immediately brings it home and changes minds. Thanks to Mike Spencer from Life Training Institute who trained us to answer with this question!)
She responds again: "There isn't any justice anymore though. Even drug addicts get more time in jail than rapists."
She walked away at that point, and so I wasn't able to converse more with her.
Although, I can't even pretend to understand the horrible trauma of rape, I know that abortion only makes the trauma much, much worse. And when you watch stories like this Jennifer's Story, and this Abortion for the Hard Cases - Testimonies - you see the mothers healing and experiencing joy and hope through raising their child.
Jackie Evans, a mother from incest shares her story in that second video and I'll just quote her words. “My
child was conceived in rape, but that doesn’t make her less than human. My
daughter has been a huge blessing in my life. She is the light of my life and
she’s been the reason that I’ve become the human being that I am. Had I had an
abortion, I would have remained in the situation that I was in. And my
pregnancy and my daughter gave me purpose. It gave me something to strive for
and it gave me hope for a better life. The idea that a woman who was raped has
a right to kill her child, is completely negative. It doesn’t help the woman and
it doesn’t help the baby. A woman is stronger than that. A woman does not need
to be told she should kill a child in order to feel better about what happened.
It’s not going to make the rape go away it just means, that now I’ve been raped
and now I’m the mother of a dead baby. It just heaps insult upon injury. Woman are stronger than this. . . producing life and producing something very positive
from a rape is very healing.”
Generally it is not the woman who has been raped who wants to destroy her baby, it's society that does. As Jennifer says, it's a false compassion from society for rape victims, and it's become the top objection to justify abortion. Let's keep on praying for the chance to spread these truths in defense of BOTH victims of rape - the mommy and the baby.
There was another time I was out with a few others, and a homeless man asked for directions to the hospital as he was experiencing some alcohol withdrawals. :-( I pointed him in the right direction and then asked if it would be alright to pray with him before he left. He agreed. After my brief prayer for him he had tears in his eyes, and thanked me genuinely, saying that was a huge blessing to him. I share this not to toot my own horn as if my prayer was something special. Frankly, I remember being unsure what to pray for and managed a very simple and short prayer. Apparently, God knew what this man needed to hear and gave me the words to say that meant something to him. It's such a blessing to be used by the Lord - especially when we feel inadequate or unworthy to be his voice, hands and feet.
"Now then go, and I, even I will be with your mouth, and teach you what to say." Ex. 4:12
My dad had a conversation with a young man the other day as well who has been riding around town on his bike. I'm not sure exactly what all went down, but eventually that young man whipped out his Bible from his back-pack and there they stood reading God's word on the sidewalk. Dad asked him where he went to church, and after hearing he didn't attend a church, invited him to attend some of the local churches participating in 40 days who would be glad to have him!
Just a heads up to folks who are continuing to go out, you may have visitors from the opposing camp now. On Saturday and Monday two men have come to exercise their first amendment right beside us, along with their own signs, loud music and shouts to folks driving by. Pray for them! Apparently one of our Monday prayer volunteers from St. Mary's tried to talk to them, and the man she tried to speak with only wanted to say, "I like chicken" to her questions. Not much of a conversation! :-) I'm assuming once the rain resumes they won't come out much, but if they do, pray for them. If you feel the Lord leading you to talk with and get to know them and why they came out, I would encourage you to allow the Lord to use you to plant seeds. He can and will teach you what to say, as He did for Moses, and it may impact their lives more than you know. I can't help but think God can set up divine appointments by bringing folks out who oppose us.
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
One of my favorite things I see out on the sidewalk are so many believers from different churches coming together for one mission and praying side by side. The first Friday I went out I saw someone from Mt. View Baptist and someone from SVCC praying side by side together. I don't know if they had met before or just met that day. . . but I love seeing how the family of Christ comes together out there! Last Friday I counted 49 folks from 3 different churches who came out in one day! Praise the Lord!
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
I wanted to share some things that have stuck out to me from the book Love Unleashes Life. This book is AMAZING, and so helpful! If you have time, feel free to click this next blog post and read some of the book that has stuck out to me! But I would highly encourage all of you to get your own copy!
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