40 Days For Life: DAY 32: Flying coffee

Dear Deacon John,

 

Our North American outreach director, Steve Karlen, calls Wisconsin home ... but he's traveling from coast to coast during this campaign, speaking and praying at many 40 Days for Life locations.
 
Steve has met many great, salt-of-the-earth volunteers in his travels. But he's also run across an occasional critic. Usually, the opponents just toss angry words. But one time ... they tossed a coffee cup!
 
Here's Steve’s latest report.
 

Seattle, Washington
 

 

I was welcomed warmly at two 40 Days for Life locations in the Seattle area. But I was also greeted by a couple of random people who took exception to the idea of a pro-life prayer vigil.

 

 

At one stop, I had a coffee cup lobbed in my direction - no damage, thankfully!
 

At the other vigil, a guy drove up to a stoplight to berate us for several minutes. He said we needed to mind our own business, keep to ourselves, and not tell other people what to do. He obviously missed the irony of his statement.

 

It certainly didn't deter any of the vigil volunteers, who faithfully gave their time to pray and fast for an end to abortion.

Issaquah, Washington
 

 

The team in Issaquah staged a wonderful event. When I first arrived, though, there was a man protesting the vigil. Of course, the 40 Days for Life volunteers didn't let anything disrupt the peaceful, prayerful spirit of the evening.

Glens Falls, New York
 

 

Switching coasts ... it was a most interesting visit to Glens Falls. They have a house next door to the abortion business that serves as something of a pro-life welcome center.
 
Earlier in the campaign, they watched a woman leave the abortion center with just her hospital gown and no shoes. She got into a car and drove off quickly.

They saw another woman arrive for an abortion in a taxi. She got out ... told the people praying that she couldn't go through with it ... and got back in the taxi and left.

I was also told about a teenager protester, who peppered the volunteers with a host of questions. When they answered his questions, though, he listened. They've spoken with him for hours, and it appears that he may be having a change of heart.
 
Norwich, Connecticut
 

 

These prayer volunteers in Norwich mean business! They spend their whole time here in very serious prayer. They cover 24 hours a day here ... and if they are in danger of missing any hours, Brian, a very soft-spoken man, takes them himself. He's a very inspirational leader.

Haverhill, Massachusetts
 

 

I had the privilege of attending a powerful candlelight vigil in Haverhill.

I have to give these folks credit for coming out to pray on a night when the Boston Red Sox were playing for a spot in the World Series. The vigil was during the game ... and I'm sure there were Red Sox fans there. But the babies were their priority.

------------------------------------------------------

Thanks again to Steve Karlen for a look at some great 40 Days for Life campaigns!

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.

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

Reflection by Rev. John Ensor

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.

Printable devotional

To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day32print.pdf 

For Life,

 

SHAWN CARNEY Campaign Director 40 Days for Life www.40daysforlife.com

 

PS: Are you a first-time participant in 40 Days for Life? If so, thanks for joining the campaign! Please share your impressions by replying to today's blog entry:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=5044