Dear Deacon John,
The pro-life movement is not
made up of self-righteous Christians telling others how to live. In
fact, it’s quite the opposite; it is made up of sinners like you and me.
Even among its leaders are those who have had abortions, done abortions or supported abortions. We are a movement of converts ... and therefore, a movement of hope.
That hit me when I was a 20-year-old college student and heard testimonies from women who were part of the Silent No More awareness campaign.
You may have seen these women — if not at a 40 Days for Life vigil, then perhaps at the March for Life. They courageously carry simple signs that read, “I regret my abortion.”
They speak out — in an effort to spare other women the things they’ve experienced with abortion.
One 40 Days for Life volunteer in Georgia decided she would be silent no more ... and got an unexpected opportunity to tell her story.
Even among its leaders are those who have had abortions, done abortions or supported abortions. We are a movement of converts ... and therefore, a movement of hope.
That hit me when I was a 20-year-old college student and heard testimonies from women who were part of the Silent No More awareness campaign.
You may have seen these women — if not at a 40 Days for Life vigil, then perhaps at the March for Life. They courageously carry simple signs that read, “I regret my abortion.”
They speak out — in an effort to spare other women the things they’ve experienced with abortion.
One 40 Days for Life volunteer in Georgia decided she would be silent no more ... and got an unexpected opportunity to tell her story.
Savannah, Georgia
“I felt that God was urging me to be bold,” she said. With that in mind, she put together a homemade sign, which she taped to the side of her car … and parked with that side of the car facing the abortion center.
The sign said: “I had an abortion here. Come and ask me about it!”
“Because I actually had an abortion in that clinic in January of 2012,” she said, “I am able to tell women and men about what actually goes on inside.”
While she was praying one morning, two abortion workers went outside and approached her. They had to admit they were curious about the sign, and wanted to know if she’d really had an abortion at their place of business. They also wanted to know what happened.
So she told them!
She described the environment as “cold, quiet and unfeeling.” The staff was not unkind to her, “but you could tell they were very much about the job and any kind of opposition to actually having an abortion was immediately discredited.”
She spoke with a counselor who was supposed to determine whether the client was being coerced into having the abortion. “I told her … if a woman felt like she had any other choice then she wouldn’t have an abortion,” she said, “and I was quickly admonished.”
The counselor told her that there are many women who feel like abortion is the natural and right option for them. “Right then and there I knew something was wrong. But I ignored my gut feeling on the matter and went through with the procedure.”
When the employees who had approached her on the sidewalk heard this story, they seemed upset and claimed that her experience was through personal choice – that it was not the abortion business itself that had caused something bad to happen.
“It was a personal choice that I regret,” she told them, “but your clinic provides a service under the false pretense that it is the right choice.”
All because of the sign on her car!
“The sign did exactly what I wanted it to do,” she said, “and that was give people the option to ask me about what happened when you had an abortion … I was using my ‘personal experience’ to potentially help save lives through the power of God.”
Business at the facility has been slowing down, she observed. “I fully believe that God is answering our prayers and Savannah Medical Clinic will in the near future be no longer offering abortions!”
Today’s devotional is from Rev. John Ensor of PassionLife.
Day 32 intention
As we pray for the end of abortion, let us pray for the expansion of the pregnancy help center movement worldwide.
As we pray for the end of abortion, let us pray for the expansion of the pregnancy help center movement worldwide.
Scripture
The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne.
— Revelation 12:4-5
The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne.
— Revelation 12:4-5
Reflection
You don’t need to be a theological scholar to get the essential point of Revelation 12. Something big is afoot. It has something to do with the birth of Christ and the children of God.
It involves a war in heaven, with powers and principalities beyond our expertise. But the battles are fought here on earth.
The crux of the matter centers around the babe of Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary.
It continues to unfold down through the ages, through us, the children of God, who put their faith in Christ and take up their cross and follow him.
We are waging a war of love against all things that destroy body and soul.
The intensity waxes and wanes, but like labor pains, they grow and culminate in new life.
The unleashing of legal abortion nearly 40 years ago stirred up prayer (lamentation really). Many were then led to start pregnancy help centers and maternity homes.
Today there are over 3,000 such ministries that did not exist 40 years ago.
They reflect a movement of God on our watch: Christians driven to give their time and charity to end abortion one woman at a time.
Let’s pray this movement expands worldwide. Let's pray for thousands more Christians to start, serve and support pregnancy help centers.
You don’t need to be a theological scholar to get the essential point of Revelation 12. Something big is afoot. It has something to do with the birth of Christ and the children of God.
It involves a war in heaven, with powers and principalities beyond our expertise. But the battles are fought here on earth.
The crux of the matter centers around the babe of Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary.
It continues to unfold down through the ages, through us, the children of God, who put their faith in Christ and take up their cross and follow him.
We are waging a war of love against all things that destroy body and soul.
The intensity waxes and wanes, but like labor pains, they grow and culminate in new life.
The unleashing of legal abortion nearly 40 years ago stirred up prayer (lamentation really). Many were then led to start pregnancy help centers and maternity homes.
Today there are over 3,000 such ministries that did not exist 40 years ago.
They reflect a movement of God on our watch: Christians driven to give their time and charity to end abortion one woman at a time.
Let’s pray this movement expands worldwide. Let's pray for thousands more Christians to start, serve and support pregnancy help centers.
Prayer
O God, from generation to generation, you have called your people to be the very aroma of life amidst a culture of death. Now it is our turn. Prepare me. Send me. Use me. I am eager to do my part. Stir your people everywhere to take up this great work.
O God, from generation to generation, you have called your people to be the very aroma of life amidst a culture of death. Now it is our turn. Prepare me. Send me. Use me. I am eager to do my part. Stir your people everywhere to take up this great work.
Printable devotional
To download today’s devotional as a printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/media/fall2014day32print.pdf
To download today’s devotional as a printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/media/fall2014day32print.pdf
For Life,
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SHAWN CARNEY
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
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