Saturday, October 25, 2008

Praying in the Cold

Since I last blogged, I've had two experiences that I'd like to describe. First, I've been praying at the 40 Days of Life spot (which I described earlier) - quite an experience. Two people at a time pray in the location across from the abortion clinic 24 hours a day for 40 days.

The first night, when I arrived, the people before me said that the man in the parking lot of the clinic had been driving in and out of the lot and walking around in an agitated way, staring at the pray-ers. When I got there he was standing still and staring straight at us, then later, like they said, walked back and forth and then stopping to stare some more. I wonder, I thought, if I should be concerned about this. Then the next thought was, oh well, if he's violent or something, what a way to go! So I closed my eyes and kept praying. I heard his engine and saw him drive - away, I thought at first, but no - right into our parking lot.

I kept praying and pretty soon his face popped out around the side of the tent. Thank God I had decided it was a good way to go, because contrary to natural reaction, I had a welcoming smile on my face. I think he spoke only Spanish because he just kind of beckoned toward a prayer spot and I said, "Yes, please!" So he entered the tent, knelt to pray for about 20 minutes and then quietly left.

A few days earlier, a couple were praying during the day and a young man and woman drove into the clinic lot, walked into the building, then walked back out and came across the street to tell the pray-ers thank you - they had decided against the abortion. I'd love to meet that baby some day!

Some thoughts based on all this:
* The more I read about abortion and its aftermath the more I realize how many women end up getting abortions because they feel pressured by their mates or parents. How pro-woman is that? One of the pray-ers described talking to a couple in the clinic parking lot (we can only go so far on the grass near the street). There were two children in the back seat. The man was enraged and the woman was weeping uncontrollably.

*No one can deny the devastation many women feel following abortion. Here's a PBS summary of the pain. The most powerful witness against abortion are the women at the rally that I saw walking with "I Regret My Abortion" posters. Why would these women put themselves through this? In my mind, only if the devastation was total and the desire to help others was overwhelming. We heard from six of them. Every one of them still cry when they tell their stories, as far back as the 70's.

*I'm getting more involved. The greatest joy of my life would be to talk with a woman who would then decide against abortion. Some day I will blog about it!

(Gotta go finish Saturday chores - will blog about second experience later, hopefully not a month from now!)

2 comments:

Lisa said...

Jane that is so wonderful! And it all started with contraception....what a slippery slope. Women are so damaged from abortion and so are men! Women suffer not only physically but mentally and emtionally. As a social worker when I worked in the hospital in Ohio....I had a Catholic elderdly lady (her son was a priest) who was beside her self because of an abortion she had when she was younger....Nancy Walker had a client in a nursing home was in a fetal position.........she came out of the position just long enough to say she was like that because of an abortion she had had when she was young......a mother can not kill her own and not have side effects.........God made us.......we can harden our hearts but it will catch us with us.....I so afraid of the results of the election because if the polls are right then the next president promises to make it easier to have abortions.......God have mercy on a Country that continues to munder's it's most vulnerable......48 million so far........more that all the wars put together and that's just in the U.S..........God have mercy I'm so afraid for our country.

Pursued by Truth said...

I'm proud of you Mom