October 01, 2010

Note from a former team member

I went to pray at the clinic at about 4:30 p.m. today. There was a protester with a sign "Pro-Child, Pro-Choice". The protester stood directly in front of the clinic. I took my position west of the protester - closer to the clinic drive. I stood there and prayed, and must admit to feeling slightly discouraged by the drivers who honked and waved in support of the protestor.

I continued to pray. A car pulled into the clinic drive and stopped right at the entrance. A young woman got out and addressed me. She said she wanted to thank us for being there. Four years ago, she came for an abortion and did not go through with it because we were there praying. She pointed to her son in her car. Then she hugged me. Praise God!

We all know that our presence and our prayers and fasting make a difference, yet we don't always see it. Four years ago was the first 40 Days for Life campaign in Grand Rapids - and now we can count one more save that we didn't know about.

And isn't it just like Him to reveal this to me today, when I was feeling discouraged! What an incredible grace! (Or maybe He's just showing off!)

Thank you to all of you who continue in your faithfulness. And a special thanks to the team from 2007 who brought 40 Days to Grand Rapids!

September 30, 2010

@ 320

You never stand alone!

September 27, 2010

Abby Johnson

I had the unique privilege of listening to Abby speak twice today: once at 320 when she joined David Bereit and some twenty of us in prayer, and later at the Focus on Life dinner.

I've come away from listening to her with a renewed appreciation of the need to pray for conversion.

This afternoon at 320, she acknowledged that we get a lot of obscenities thrown at us from hecklers. She reminded us that there are so many hurting and wounded people out there, and they deserve our more fervent prayers. She said it can be hard to respect someone who is employed by the abortion  industry- as she was prior to her conversion- but respect them, continue to demonstrate your peaceful witness to them.

At the dinner, she spoke about the motive for her conversion: watching a child's life get snuffed out in an instant of suction on an ultrasound. Her heart was changed, and she knew she could join David Bereit and the 40Days people that gathered outside her clinic for 8 years because she knew they would treat her with respect, because they had been doing exactly that for 8 years.

We won't get respect for life if we don't exude respect at all times to everyone, even those who hate us and hold us in contempt. Our conversion is the beginning of the end to abortion. Not the 320 employees, not the hecklers-- it starts with you and me and whether we are the most life-loving, people-cherishing, evildoer-respecting people we can possibly be (and we can all work harder at this).

Have you asked the Lord to change your heart this first week of prayer and fasting?
...or are you focused on the splinter in your sibling's eye?

David Bereit!!!

He's here!!!

Yay!

Can you tell we're excited?

Silent no more

It has come to my attention that some people praying on the sidewalk have been responding to the catcalls and the hecklers that like to shout discouraging words as they pass by us on the sidewalk.

We are a peaceful prayer vigil. Even if our response is a cordial one, like "God bless!" as the heckler cruises away, it's really not appropriate for us to respond at all. We are standing in solidarity with children who have no voice. Their screams go unheard.

Our loudest statement is peaceful, prayerful silence. That's what makes them heckle, makes them uncomfortable: our quiet witness to the truth that here die children, fellow citizens with rights. The children of 320 do not die alone, as long as we are with them in prayer. 

Remain in prayer as you stand at the sidewalk. Give your focus and your heart to Jesus, not the hecklers.

Christ knows betters than any of us what it was like to be unjustly jeered at or spat upon. Will we accept no less as we stand witness to the trial and crucifixion of thousands of children in the womb?

Let your every action radiate peace. His peace as He bore the weight of our sins.