ON THE SIDEWALK

WEEK 1:
I went to PP to pray three times this past week for the 40 days for Life. It was different than I had expected. There I was at 7am on the starting day and I didn't see crowds of people all praying and being passionate for this cause that is so dear to my heart. I only saw 3 or 4 people standing along the sidewalk, peacefully praying. I asked God 'Where are all the people?'

One woman came out and talked to me and Sue, the lady I had met on the sidewalk. As she approached us she started shaking her head, and Sue said 'Oh I bet she's coming to tell us what she thinks of us.' Sue has been sidewalk counseling for 5 years, every Saturday. Her dedication is amazing. Anyway, this woman starts to cry and says, 'This is affecting me so much more than I thought it would.' She explains that she tried to talk her friend Tory out of getting an abortion, but she wouldn't listen. The abortion was happening at that very moment as she stood with us in tears. The woman told us that she had had an abortion years ago and had gone through counseling afterwards. She later had two daughters and now has grandchildren. She said looking at those 11 women waiting in line to terminate their pregnancies was more than she could handle. I wonder who their babies would have been. I wonder what color their hair would have been, and what their personalities would be like. I told the woman that someday both of them would meet their babies in heaven. I bet that's the last time she drives someone to an abortion clinic.

I have felt God's presence there so strongly while we stand and pray. I wave at every car that passes by, and I sometimes get a wave back from, both PP employees or people going into the clinic. As I stared at the six-story building, the verse that came to my mind was 'Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.' The grandmother I met is forgiven. And her friend Tory is forgiven. Jesus already died for their sins (and thankfully mine as well). He said 'It is finished.' But that doesn't take away the pain that mothers, fathers, generations even, will go through because of their choices.

I just began to pray that God would open their eyes to the truth of what abortion does. It stops a baby's beating heart. I pray for their hearts to be changed. It is amazing to see God moving and be a part of His work along that sidewalk on the Gulf Coast Freeway. He is truly bigger than that 78,000 square foot building. And even though I only saw four people there that first day, I know his armies of angels are mightier than my eyes can see. Maybe it's my eyes that need to be opened...

Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, 'Father forgive them, for they know not what they do...'

2 Kings 6:15-17
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayer, 'Open his eyes, LORD so that he may see.' Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he look and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.