Repost - thinking about the signs we wear to the Kensington clinic...
It seems to me that more people than ever have been asking about the signs that we can wear to the vigil. People are longing to have a message to bear as they pray at the clinic. They're longing to bring clarity to their presence, and to show the community - and those wounded ones using the clinic that we really, really care. As Fawne mentioned yesterday, 40 Days for Life doesn't use graphic images. Neither do we use any signs that are intentionally inflammatory - (though, i've had people curse at me when i'm wearing my sign "You Are Loved", so i know it is likely impossible to carry a sign that doesn't cause anger for someone... ) We have a lot of flexibility with signs - and some of the best and most compelling ones i've seen have been the personal testimonies of the ones carrying them.
Have you considered wearing a sign? What would you say?
************************************************
The perfect sign.
There likely isn't one... i know...
But this is a question that i ask myself
again and again as i prepare my mind and heart for the 40 Day prayer vigil that
is set to begin in 2 months.
There is often division among prolifers over
methods, wording, attitudes etc...
We've even had disagreements about signs
on this tiny blog.
We need more discussion - more understanding for each
other - more sharing of wisdom & opinions... more soul searching.
Why
does it matter?
It matters because the signs that we wear at the Kensington
Clinic are likely the last prolife messages that these women will see before
making a final decision about the wee life they are carrying. It matters
because we are a last line of defence. It matters because God loves these
families... and so too must we. It matters because "they will know we are
Christians by our love". It matters because we want the signs to be compelling
- because this is life and death we're talking about.
Let's just face it...
If we're going to choose to wear a sign to an abortion clinic... the message on
that sign matters.
This doesn't mean we'll all wear the same sign. We will
all fill in different gaps, we'll appeal to different hurting individuals, we'll
be authentic - and because we're authentic, we'll be
diverse.
My faithful little sign that i've worn for the past year has a
simple message, "You are loved." The reverse states, "Life is a Gift".
Other
signs read, "Look at the Ultrasound", "Abortion Stops a Beating Heart",
or simply, "40 Days for Life".
We're facing a difficult situation here at
the Kensington clinic. We're not allowed to cross that road. We're not allowed
to speak - unless spoken to. We're limited in our access and in our numbers...
What words would reach into that desperate situation... What words could cut
through the pain, fear and numbness - to the heart of a mother or father... What
words would have the deepest impact... while leaving the smallest wound?
i'm
thinking of words today like, "Can i help?", "Ask me why i'm here"...
But
even these... and the blinking cursor that i stared at for minutes as my wracked
my brain for that perfect combination of words that would stop a course
of action... seem so insufficient.
The truth is... they are.
& so we
bathe them in tears and prayer. We allow our hearts to break with compassion
and we bring our requests brokenly to our Maker.
Oh, God... prepare my
heart... & give me the
words.
***************************************************
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24-25
Lord, help me to make my attitude towards the mothers and fathers of the unborn who are desperate enough to contemplate abortion one of humility, empathy, and love rather than of judgment. Help me to understand that those who work in the abortion industry often began that work with the best of intentions and may be personally dismayed by abortion itself. Remind me of my own sins you have graciously forgiven so that I remember that forgiveness is possible for all who are willing to repent of their sins and truly believe. Amen. (Prayer excerpt from book, 40 Days for Life, available on Amazon).
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Day 10 - peace
i have learned so much from my participation in 40 Days for Life.
Constantly, i find myself adjusting my reflexes to stay within our code of conduct and our pledge for peace. To see our Volunteer Code of Conduct, click HERE.
Part of the Code is to make sure that all volunteers are aware of the court injunction that places certain limitations on our prayer vigil participants. If you're ever concerned or confused about part of our code of conduct, or how to comply with the court injunction, please feel free to contact us via our facebook page or by the "contact us" tab at the top of the blog.
Be kind, be loving, be full of hope and mercy - our presence is having an enormous impact - continue to rely on our Father to give us the strength to respond with humility!
And God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. 2 Chronicles 30:27
Lord, the psalms are full of stories of times when David's enemies came against him, but you interceded on his behalf and confounded the efforts of those enemies so that the things they thought would defeat David defeated them instead. I pray today that you would confound the efforts of those who destroy innocent human life and those who try to thwart the volunteers who stand and pray for the unborn. Let their efforts to defeat us work against them instead. And when they fail, open their eyes to see that they failed not because they opposed us but because they opposed you. Amen.
(Prayer is an excerpt from the book, 40 Days for Life, available on Amazon).
Constantly, i find myself adjusting my reflexes to stay within our code of conduct and our pledge for peace. To see our Volunteer Code of Conduct, click HERE.
Part of the Code is to make sure that all volunteers are aware of the court injunction that places certain limitations on our prayer vigil participants. If you're ever concerned or confused about part of our code of conduct, or how to comply with the court injunction, please feel free to contact us via our facebook page or by the "contact us" tab at the top of the blog.
Be kind, be loving, be full of hope and mercy - our presence is having an enormous impact - continue to rely on our Father to give us the strength to respond with humility!
And God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. 2 Chronicles 30:27
Lord, the psalms are full of stories of times when David's enemies came against him, but you interceded on his behalf and confounded the efforts of those enemies so that the things they thought would defeat David defeated them instead. I pray today that you would confound the efforts of those who destroy innocent human life and those who try to thwart the volunteers who stand and pray for the unborn. Let their efforts to defeat us work against them instead. And when they fail, open their eyes to see that they failed not because they opposed us but because they opposed you. Amen.
(Prayer is an excerpt from the book, 40 Days for Life, available on Amazon).
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Day 9 - will you pray with us?
Prayer moves hearts and minds.
Prayer opens hearts.
Prayer offers hope and healing.
Prayer sustains us.
Prayer is our strongest weapon.
Prayer places our hope in God.
Prayer humbles us.
Prayer for Prolife Efforts
Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment in which the Word of God came to earth as a single cell and made His abode in the most pure body of the Virgin Mary. O Cell Divine, in that hour hear the prayers that we send to you across the ages.
Welcome into Your loving care the souls of all those children who are rejected by their mothers.
Look with compassion upon those mothers who are driven by distress and delusion to seek the lives of their own offspring.
Have mercy upon those who turn their training in the healing arts to the purposes of death.
Inspire Christians everywhere to seek out and apply Christian solutions to social problems.
Bless our efforts to educate and serve. Help us to conduct them in the spirit of humility and love that will win minds and hearts to accept the truth, to minister to those in need, and to forgo the resort to violence. Amen.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
Dear Lord, help me to accept your timetable rather than insisting on my own and to not be discouraged when the two don't coincide. When I face frustrations, roadblocks, disappointments, and persecution in my attempts to do your work, as I surely will, help me to not simply bear them but to rejoice in them, because they are what strengthen me and help me to grow to be more like your Son. It is no small privilege to participate with him in his sufferings - even in this small way. Amen.
(Prayer is an excerpt from the book, 40 Days for Life, available on Amazon).
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Day 2 - why do we vigil?
It made me uncomfortable, the first time i went to vigil outside our city's large abortion clinic.
i knew that there were around 5000 little ones that lost their lives there every year... i knew that young children were ushered through those doors and coached without their parent's consent or knowledge through a procedure that would end the child's life growing within the child. i knew that women travelled from out of province to visit this clinic that specializes in death...
But it made me uncomfortable to stand there and vigil.
Throughout the years that i have been involved in prolife, though, some of my thoughts on the presence of those who vigil outside the clinics and hospitals that offer abortions have begun to have more clarity, and i want to share some of those thoughts with you today.
We vigil at the abortion clinic because that's where abortions happen. We could have a prayer meeting at our local churches - and yes... our Heavenly Father would hear those prayers too... but when you've gone to the clinic, and made eye contact with those parents going through those doors, your prayers change in quality, your compassion is roused and your heart cannot help but be broken. Abortions aren't happening at our local churches... in Calgary, they're happening on 5th Ave... and they're happening a lot.
We vigil at the abortion clinic because we want to be a sign of hope for those little ones. Is there hope at an abortion clinic? Yes. There is. God has not turned his back, or forsaken those tiny ones... and neither have the prolifers who are there, who even in those last moments are offering the mamas a chance to change their minds and let their little ones continue to live in peace. At the time of this writing, 40 Days for Life has heard stories of almost 7000 children being saved from abortion worldwide during our campaigns. Our presence at the clinic, and our voice of hope is saving lives.
We vigil at the abortion clinic because we want to be a sign of mercy for those mothers and fathers who have scheduled an appointment with death at that clinic. And we are also there to extend mercy to the abortion workers who make their living taking the lives of our most vulnerable citizens. After an abortion has taken place, we need mercy more than ever... The bible tells us in Micah that God requires us to love mercy... and love her we do. Because of our presence and our cry for mercy during 40 Days for Life, abortion workers have left their jobs and refused to take part in abortion any longer, women have found healing from their past abortions - and the sign of mercy that our presence brings, allows our communities to draw closer to the Father who loves us all.
We need prolifers. We need them to be praying, fasting, reaching out in our communities and churches - gently speaking the truth in love.
And we need people who are full of love who are willing to stand on a cold sidewalk outside the building where abortions are happening to be a sign of hope and mercy to a culture that desperately needs us.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Day 28 - Why Continue?
How many of us have wanted to quit? i know i have... i'm sure that most of us have felt in a moment of weakness that prolife work is too hard/sad/tiring/taken badly/spiritually draining, or there is too much adversity/disrespect/disaproval/pain/anger. A friend of mine, who works full time in prolife work wrote an encouraging piece for our blog that speaks to us in our vulnerability and answers the question: why continue?
*Warning* all links in this piece lead to graphic videos.
*****************************************
by Ruth Lobo Shaw
Sometimes, I think about all the hours I have logged doing pro-life work- all the 14 hour days, the long days standing outside a clinic, on campus, or on Facebook debating and engaging. It makes me want to quit, leave the country for some place warm and away. But then I think of them, and I persevere.
Some days, I think about all the verbal abuse that I have endured, all the accusations that I hate women by women who scream in my face. I think about the people who have lashed out in anger against me, demanding that I leave, that I stop talking about the babies. I am tempted to run away, close my mouth and never utter another word about the issue. But then, I think about the pain those little ones must feel as their limbs are torn apart and I realize that no amount of emotional pain I suffer even comes close to the physical pain these babies feel. And so I press on.
Often I reflect on the friends I have lost while fighting this battle. All the times I was questioned, judged, misunderstood, rejected or ostracized. I think about how If I said nothing, did nothing then maybe my life would be so much easier and I would be liked. I remember feeling so alone at times, wishing I could put the issue aside and be a normal 24 year old-- travel, hang out with friends and be care-free. But then, I remember that my silence would be a death sentence for these babies and the images press on my conscience. And so, I continue on.
After a long day in the office, I sometimes come home and think about how working somewhere else would be easier. Maybe I wouldn’t have to put in such long hour. Maybe I would not have to critically analyze every project I undertook to make sure it was effective. Maybe my husband and I could go on more dates. And then, an image comes to my mind of a couple going to the clinic with their little one, except they leave him or her there shattered. Thinking about them makes me realize that our little sacrifice as a family could stop this little family from a lifetime of pain and so, I am determined that our family will continue to try to protect these little families from being broken apart.
Sometimes I am tempted to think that maybe I am called to something else. That maybe my talents would be better suited for a different cause, or just at a more "regular job". But then I remember the babies that have been saved through the efforts of so many. And I think about the minds and hearts that have been changed. It was once said that he who saves a life, saves the world entire. This gives me hope for a future more beautiful than our present.
It takes greater strength of character to fight for someone else then it takes for you to fight for yourself. Will you continue fighting for these little ones?
*Warning* all links in this piece lead to graphic videos.
*****************************************
by Ruth Lobo Shaw
Sometimes, I think about all the hours I have logged doing pro-life work- all the 14 hour days, the long days standing outside a clinic, on campus, or on Facebook debating and engaging. It makes me want to quit, leave the country for some place warm and away. But then I think of them, and I persevere.
Some days, I think about all the verbal abuse that I have endured, all the accusations that I hate women by women who scream in my face. I think about the people who have lashed out in anger against me, demanding that I leave, that I stop talking about the babies. I am tempted to run away, close my mouth and never utter another word about the issue. But then, I think about the pain those little ones must feel as their limbs are torn apart and I realize that no amount of emotional pain I suffer even comes close to the physical pain these babies feel. And so I press on.
Often I reflect on the friends I have lost while fighting this battle. All the times I was questioned, judged, misunderstood, rejected or ostracized. I think about how If I said nothing, did nothing then maybe my life would be so much easier and I would be liked. I remember feeling so alone at times, wishing I could put the issue aside and be a normal 24 year old-- travel, hang out with friends and be care-free. But then, I remember that my silence would be a death sentence for these babies and the images press on my conscience. And so, I continue on.
After a long day in the office, I sometimes come home and think about how working somewhere else would be easier. Maybe I wouldn’t have to put in such long hour. Maybe I would not have to critically analyze every project I undertook to make sure it was effective. Maybe my husband and I could go on more dates. And then, an image comes to my mind of a couple going to the clinic with their little one, except they leave him or her there shattered. Thinking about them makes me realize that our little sacrifice as a family could stop this little family from a lifetime of pain and so, I am determined that our family will continue to try to protect these little families from being broken apart.
Sometimes I am tempted to think that maybe I am called to something else. That maybe my talents would be better suited for a different cause, or just at a more "regular job". But then I remember the babies that have been saved through the efforts of so many. And I think about the minds and hearts that have been changed. It was once said that he who saves a life, saves the world entire. This gives me hope for a future more beautiful than our present.
It takes greater strength of character to fight for someone else then it takes for you to fight for yourself. Will you continue fighting for these little ones?
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Statement of Peace
I pledge to conduct myself in a peaceful manner, responding with humility and love.
I pledge to conduct myself in a prayerful, positive manner with a compassionate attitude.
I pledge that I am familiar with the vigil location and key guidelines imposed by the Court Injunction. I will conduct myself in a lawful and considerate manner at all times while participating int he 40 Days for Life Campaign.
- Only 4 persons (any ages) on the sidewalk across 5th Ave from clinic by the park.
- No further West than the edge of the park.
- If more than 4 persons, overflow can be in park, between the playground and the
soccer field, but no signs or placards in this area.
- Do stand or walk on the other side [North] of the fence from the sidewalk in the park.
- Do not talk to anyone unless approached first. Do not talk to school-aged children at all.
I pledge to orient any personal guest to the vigil site, and gently remind other participants who may not know the vigil location and the 4 person limit on 5th Avenue.
I pledge to keep my commitment to the hours I have signed up for, or find someone who can, or call 403-467-6961.
Thank you, and God Bless.
I pledge to conduct myself in a prayerful, positive manner with a compassionate attitude.
I pledge that I am familiar with the vigil location and key guidelines imposed by the Court Injunction. I will conduct myself in a lawful and considerate manner at all times while participating int he 40 Days for Life Campaign.
- Only 4 persons (any ages) on the sidewalk across 5th Ave from clinic by the park.
- No further West than the edge of the park.
- If more than 4 persons, overflow can be in park, between the playground and the
soccer field, but no signs or placards in this area.
- Do stand or walk on the other side [North] of the fence from the sidewalk in the park.
- Do not talk to anyone unless approached first. Do not talk to school-aged children at all.
I pledge to orient any personal guest to the vigil site, and gently remind other participants who may not know the vigil location and the 4 person limit on 5th Avenue.
I pledge to keep my commitment to the hours I have signed up for, or find someone who can, or call 403-467-6961.
Thank you, and God Bless.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Day 33 - softening, learning, growing
i find that the more i learn about prolife, the more i want to learn. i subscribe to prolife publications and read and try to understand all the many difficulties that we're faced as we fight for this unpopular Truth in this moment of time, in this social climate.
Maybe there are people reading today who see 40 Days for Life as their first cautious step into prolife (& what a beautiful place to do battle - on our knees in prayer for all of us affected by the killing of innocents)... & maybe there are people reading who want to learn more, to get better informed and grow as believers and prolifers.
i'm sharing some links i've come across - feel free to share your favourite prolife links in the comments section & tell us what you're learning.
Bonhoeffer on Abortion - a recent post on John Piper's site.
LifeSite News - while not all their articles are about abortion, they'll definitely keep you informed of current events happening world wide in regards to prolife.
Live Action - a youth led movement that sees abortion as the greatest human rights injustice of our time.
Survivors of Abortion - giving a voice to the voiceless - abortion from a perspective that is not often heard... the children that survived.
Alberta Prolife - This is a great resource for those of us who live in Alberta to keep current on what is happening in our province. ("Like" their facebook page too!)
Canadian Center for Bio-ethical Reform - (warning, this site has graphic images) - a group of activists whose goal is to make abortion unthinkable. (i have been loving their 'beINSPIRED' series...)
Stephen Woodworth's motion for the Canadian government to discuss the humanity of the unborn in parliament could be a huge step for our country (see short 40 second video HERE) - & visit the supporting site, www.iamahumanbeing.ca
Defund Abortion in Alberta - another important step we need to take...
There are so many places to start - & i just want to invite you to let this 40 day campaign lead you deeper, farther, stronger - into the fight to end the killing in our country.
Maybe there are people reading today who see 40 Days for Life as their first cautious step into prolife (& what a beautiful place to do battle - on our knees in prayer for all of us affected by the killing of innocents)... & maybe there are people reading who want to learn more, to get better informed and grow as believers and prolifers.
i'm sharing some links i've come across - feel free to share your favourite prolife links in the comments section & tell us what you're learning.
Bonhoeffer on Abortion - a recent post on John Piper's site.
LifeSite News - while not all their articles are about abortion, they'll definitely keep you informed of current events happening world wide in regards to prolife.
Live Action - a youth led movement that sees abortion as the greatest human rights injustice of our time.
Survivors of Abortion - giving a voice to the voiceless - abortion from a perspective that is not often heard... the children that survived.
Alberta Prolife - This is a great resource for those of us who live in Alberta to keep current on what is happening in our province. ("Like" their facebook page too!)
Canadian Center for Bio-ethical Reform - (warning, this site has graphic images) - a group of activists whose goal is to make abortion unthinkable. (i have been loving their 'beINSPIRED' series...)
Stephen Woodworth's motion for the Canadian government to discuss the humanity of the unborn in parliament could be a huge step for our country (see short 40 second video HERE) - & visit the supporting site, www.iamahumanbeing.ca
Defund Abortion in Alberta - another important step we need to take...
There are so many places to start - & i just want to invite you to let this 40 day campaign lead you deeper, farther, stronger - into the fight to end the killing in our country.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Day 31 - words
Sometimes the words of another allow us to pray the burden that's on our hearts. This is a prayer that we often pray at our 40 Days for Life organizational meetings:
Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the resurrection of Your Son.
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
I commit myself to be active in the prolife movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
not just for some, but for all,
Through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Day 29 - a post to explain who we are...
April 1st will mark the completion of Calgary's fifth 40 Days for Life campaign.
Not sure what this is?
This local peaceful prayer vigil gives individuals the opportunity to show their respect for life by signing up online at www.40daysforlife/calgary with friends and family to give an hour of time to join in the effort, through prayer and sacrifice, to bring about an end to abortion. 40 Days for life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of three components. Most importantly, it is a time for prayer and fasting, secondly is the more visible component of our campaign which is our peaceful presence at the Kensington abortion clinic in Calgary, where thousands of little ones are killed each year. Thirdly, there is a focus on 40 days of community outreach which can be accomplished simply by making an effort to talk to friends, family and neighbours about what it means to value human life at every age and level of development.
During the 40 days of the vigil, volunteers use a convenient online sign up calendar to choose their time slot and are peacefully compliant with the injunction at the Kensington abortion clinic that restricts interaction and confrontation and keeps our presence to the other side of the street. Individuals who have become involved in the campaign have said that this intentional time of prayer has served to soften them to the horror abortion that tears apart hundreds of thousands of families in our nation every year. Seeing the door swing open and closed as women meet their moment of crisis with the irreversible choice of abortion is sobering to say the least.
Internationally, in the few short years since 40 Days For Life began, there have been documented reports of over 5000 babies being rescued from abortion. Over 60 abortion workers have quit their jobs and left the abortion industry and over 20 abortion clinics have shut their doors. This is a campaign that is bearing good fruit.
When we complete this campaign, we will begin looking forward to our fall campaign and praying that increasing numbers of believers will feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit to join us on the sidewalk outside the clinic in Calgary as we pray for abortion to end in our city. Will you consider joining us?
Not sure what this is?
This local peaceful prayer vigil gives individuals the opportunity to show their respect for life by signing up online at www.40daysforlife/calgary with friends and family to give an hour of time to join in the effort, through prayer and sacrifice, to bring about an end to abortion. 40 Days for life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of three components. Most importantly, it is a time for prayer and fasting, secondly is the more visible component of our campaign which is our peaceful presence at the Kensington abortion clinic in Calgary, where thousands of little ones are killed each year. Thirdly, there is a focus on 40 days of community outreach which can be accomplished simply by making an effort to talk to friends, family and neighbours about what it means to value human life at every age and level of development.
During the 40 days of the vigil, volunteers use a convenient online sign up calendar to choose their time slot and are peacefully compliant with the injunction at the Kensington abortion clinic that restricts interaction and confrontation and keeps our presence to the other side of the street. Individuals who have become involved in the campaign have said that this intentional time of prayer has served to soften them to the horror abortion that tears apart hundreds of thousands of families in our nation every year. Seeing the door swing open and closed as women meet their moment of crisis with the irreversible choice of abortion is sobering to say the least.
Internationally, in the few short years since 40 Days For Life began, there have been documented reports of over 5000 babies being rescued from abortion. Over 60 abortion workers have quit their jobs and left the abortion industry and over 20 abortion clinics have shut their doors. This is a campaign that is bearing good fruit.
When we complete this campaign, we will begin looking forward to our fall campaign and praying that increasing numbers of believers will feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit to join us on the sidewalk outside the clinic in Calgary as we pray for abortion to end in our city. Will you consider joining us?
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Day 26 - unity & the body
A couple of quotes from our facebook page:
"
This 40 Days for Life prayer vigil is such a beautiful opportunity to join together with other members of the Body to pray for an end to injustice. i loved this post about unity & i decided to share it with you here today.
http://liveactionnews.org/opinion/when-division-strikes/
"
This 40 Days for Life prayer vigil is such a beautiful opportunity to join together with other members of the Body to pray for an end to injustice. i loved this post about unity & i decided to share it with you here today.
http://liveactionnews.org/opinion/when-division-strikes/
Monday, March 12, 2012
Day 20 - you're not alone
i was sitting at my computer - wanting desperately to encourage those of you who are so faithfully filling the time slots at our Calgary vigil at the Kensington abortion clinic. i also wanted to gently encourage those of you who read - and who might still be unsure about what we're doing... and also those who might be unable to vigil, but are joining us in prayer for an end to abortion from home.
There are so many 'causes' - so many issues calling for our attention, our prayers, our tears... & suddenly - i felt a little alone in my compassion for the little ones, pre-born.
So, i went and read the Terrace 40 Days for Life blog... and it was so encouraging, so beautiful to imagine that a province away - there are others who care, and who are being called to speak up, to be a voice and to stand and vigil where little lives are being taken.
We're not alone.
Not all of us are awake yet, but if we continue to pray and speak out, more will join us. Some of us are battling different fronts of this war, there are those that agree with us, and are united in prayer and are acting on behalf of the oppressed in other ways and places. Then there are some of us who are only just awakening to the injustice, and are wrestling through the issues trying to hear and understand that 'still small voice'.
i'm so grateful for others - who so courageously speak out about an unpopular issue - and who remind me i'm not alone.
**********************************
ps - Do you have a story to share on the Calgary 40 Days for Life blog? Your words could be just the encouraging reminder that another prolifer needs to press on... Use the "Contact Us" tab at the top of the blog to submit your story.
There are so many 'causes' - so many issues calling for our attention, our prayers, our tears... & suddenly - i felt a little alone in my compassion for the little ones, pre-born.
So, i went and read the Terrace 40 Days for Life blog... and it was so encouraging, so beautiful to imagine that a province away - there are others who care, and who are being called to speak up, to be a voice and to stand and vigil where little lives are being taken.
We're not alone.
Not all of us are awake yet, but if we continue to pray and speak out, more will join us. Some of us are battling different fronts of this war, there are those that agree with us, and are united in prayer and are acting on behalf of the oppressed in other ways and places. Then there are some of us who are only just awakening to the injustice, and are wrestling through the issues trying to hear and understand that 'still small voice'.
i'm so grateful for others - who so courageously speak out about an unpopular issue - and who remind me i'm not alone.
**********************************
ps - Do you have a story to share on the Calgary 40 Days for Life blog? Your words could be just the encouraging reminder that another prolifer needs to press on... Use the "Contact Us" tab at the top of the blog to submit your story.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Day 14 - The Prayer Part
i love 40 Days for Life. i love that it's focused - that there is a stated goal that we strive for - we want to see an end to abortion. We want to see abortion clinics close. We want people to learn about each human being's intrinsic value, and we want to save lives.
i love too, that it calls believers to pray.
When i got to the corner, i joined my friend. i whispered to her my insecurities about prayer... How my Father is leading me back... to pray, "Our Father"... again and again. i told her how i feel like there is so much to learn about prayer... and that i want to pray in a way that is pleasing to Him - and in a way that is effective and powerful, and yet in this learning time, i find myself stumbling self-consciously, trying to hear His voice, and pray in accordance with His will.
And then we prayed together. We prayed, "Our Father" - a few times. Each line sinking into my very soul as i turned my heart to Him and ached for the unborn. i'm so grateful that when i stutter and start that i can cling to the words that Jesus gave me when he teaches us how to pray...
This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
matthew 6:9-13
i love too, that it calls believers to pray.
When i got to the corner, i joined my friend. i whispered to her my insecurities about prayer... How my Father is leading me back... to pray, "Our Father"... again and again. i told her how i feel like there is so much to learn about prayer... and that i want to pray in a way that is pleasing to Him - and in a way that is effective and powerful, and yet in this learning time, i find myself stumbling self-consciously, trying to hear His voice, and pray in accordance with His will.
And then we prayed together. We prayed, "Our Father" - a few times. Each line sinking into my very soul as i turned my heart to Him and ached for the unborn. i'm so grateful that when i stutter and start that i can cling to the words that Jesus gave me when he teaches us how to pray...
This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
matthew 6:9-13
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Day 12 - tough topics
Sometimes i tackle tough topics on my blog. Not all the time, 'cause there are a lot of tough topics that i haven't given enough intelligent thought to form an opinion... and then there are the times that i just don't feel equal to the task. Today i'm going to share some thoughts with you via articles published by other people. They're not my carefully researched and thought out ideas, but these articles resonate with me on some level. i decided to share them 'cause maybe some of you are wrestling through some of these same issues as i am, and wow - is this 40 days for life ever about wrestling. Maybe these articles will be helpful for you - maybe they won't be. They're certainly not the final word on these topics, but they offer a thoughtful place to start.
i wrote the other day that prolife is messy - & i think it is. Every prolifer has been asked difficult questions about situations that break your heart, make you cry & plead for heaven... and sometimes when those questions are asked, they're followed up with, "So THEN... are you still against abortion?"
i want to write this blog post, to post some resources, to think through these tough situations because for me, the answer is still an aching, 'yes'.
A friend sent me a message on facebook the other night, asking how i felt about abortion in cases of the rape of a minor - or incest. Horrible. i hate knowing that this is the world that we live in. This is kind of a lengthy read, but i think it's worth the time to read it through. THIS is the article i sent back to her.
Then i got asked about those tough cases - where the health of the mother is at stake... It hurts my heart to imagine these situations. i've watched friends go through horrible pregnancies - one friend was hospitalized with a feeding tube - another needed constant monitoring of her liver since it would quit working properly during pregnancy. Then, there are the heart wrenching situations with ectopic pregnancy. These are real women going through these terrifying, painful situations. We can't really gloss over them when we talk about abortion, can we? THIS is the article i sent to my friend on this topic. Again, it's a super long read, but we owe it to ourselves, our children, our friends and family - to examine these situations and gently discuss them with a hurting world.
May God be in it as we wrestle out our faith with fear and trembling.
i wrote the other day that prolife is messy - & i think it is. Every prolifer has been asked difficult questions about situations that break your heart, make you cry & plead for heaven... and sometimes when those questions are asked, they're followed up with, "So THEN... are you still against abortion?"
i want to write this blog post, to post some resources, to think through these tough situations because for me, the answer is still an aching, 'yes'.
A friend sent me a message on facebook the other night, asking how i felt about abortion in cases of the rape of a minor - or incest. Horrible. i hate knowing that this is the world that we live in. This is kind of a lengthy read, but i think it's worth the time to read it through. THIS is the article i sent back to her.
Then i got asked about those tough cases - where the health of the mother is at stake... It hurts my heart to imagine these situations. i've watched friends go through horrible pregnancies - one friend was hospitalized with a feeding tube - another needed constant monitoring of her liver since it would quit working properly during pregnancy. Then, there are the heart wrenching situations with ectopic pregnancy. These are real women going through these terrifying, painful situations. We can't really gloss over them when we talk about abortion, can we? THIS is the article i sent to my friend on this topic. Again, it's a super long read, but we owe it to ourselves, our children, our friends and family - to examine these situations and gently discuss them with a hurting world.
May God be in it as we wrestle out our faith with fear and trembling.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Day 9 - pro-life is messy
i read a blog post recently written by "Abortion Gang" - in it, the author lamented, "the pro-choice view of the world is messier and more complex, and therefore a harder sell, than the nicely packaged anti-choice “I heart babies” view."
i can only imagine how hard it is to package the reality of what abortion does into anything that could be deemed palatable... but i gotta say - that if she doesn't see the messiness and complexity of the pro-life view, she's just not looking. She only needs to look as far as my friend who has a house full of tiny babies - and just found out she's pregnant again. If she wants to see complex, she should take a peek at our relatives who declined the doctor's offer of termination and now fill their weeks with doctor appointments, seeking answers and care for their tiny son who needs all the help he can get. If she thinks pro-life is nicely packaged and easy to sell - she should go talk to the rape victims who endured their pregnancies in agony - only to fall madly and irrevocably in love with their children once they were born. The reason that the pro-choice view has a hard time packaging their message isn't because pro-life is so tidy beside it, it's because their message is a lie. Abortion isn't a kindness to women, it's simply the killing of an innocent human life - and this killing will not solve the issues that brought these women to their moment of crisis. To offer death - as a solution to heartbreak, ill health, unwantedness, bad circumstances... to offer death... that's an ugly thing. Giving it a pretty name like, "freedom to choose" or "pro-choice" doesn't make it palatable. It needs to be swaddled and wrapped in lies upon lies... carefully cleaned and sanitized so that the blood ceases to seep through the cracks.
And pro-life lies naked and exposed in all it's complexity.
Yes, it will be hard to carry that baby. Yes, pregnancy is hard and childbirth painful. Yes, it involves a sacrifice that could last between 9 months to the rest of your life... What we're talking about isn't something that's easy. No, pro-life is messy... it's complex. We're talking about allowing a life that has begun to continue unhindered - to enter the world... to take great gasping breaths of air - to breath and cry and eat and LIVE. We're talking about stretch marks, about hormones, about pain. Blood, mess, waste, milk - stretching, tearing, crying...
The reason that pro-choice is such a hard sell isn't because pro-life could ever be simplified into "i heart babies" (though, make no mistake, i do heart babies...) but the real reason that pro-choice is such a hard sell is because we know... we know, deep down in our heart of hearts - that the tiny one in the womb is a unique person... worthy of our help and protection. Denying that truth will never be an easy sell - even next to the complex mess that often comes with the pro-life view.
i can only imagine how hard it is to package the reality of what abortion does into anything that could be deemed palatable... but i gotta say - that if she doesn't see the messiness and complexity of the pro-life view, she's just not looking. She only needs to look as far as my friend who has a house full of tiny babies - and just found out she's pregnant again. If she wants to see complex, she should take a peek at our relatives who declined the doctor's offer of termination and now fill their weeks with doctor appointments, seeking answers and care for their tiny son who needs all the help he can get. If she thinks pro-life is nicely packaged and easy to sell - she should go talk to the rape victims who endured their pregnancies in agony - only to fall madly and irrevocably in love with their children once they were born. The reason that the pro-choice view has a hard time packaging their message isn't because pro-life is so tidy beside it, it's because their message is a lie. Abortion isn't a kindness to women, it's simply the killing of an innocent human life - and this killing will not solve the issues that brought these women to their moment of crisis. To offer death - as a solution to heartbreak, ill health, unwantedness, bad circumstances... to offer death... that's an ugly thing. Giving it a pretty name like, "freedom to choose" or "pro-choice" doesn't make it palatable. It needs to be swaddled and wrapped in lies upon lies... carefully cleaned and sanitized so that the blood ceases to seep through the cracks.
And pro-life lies naked and exposed in all it's complexity.
Yes, it will be hard to carry that baby. Yes, pregnancy is hard and childbirth painful. Yes, it involves a sacrifice that could last between 9 months to the rest of your life... What we're talking about isn't something that's easy. No, pro-life is messy... it's complex. We're talking about allowing a life that has begun to continue unhindered - to enter the world... to take great gasping breaths of air - to breath and cry and eat and LIVE. We're talking about stretch marks, about hormones, about pain. Blood, mess, waste, milk - stretching, tearing, crying...
The reason that pro-choice is such a hard sell isn't because pro-life could ever be simplified into "i heart babies" (though, make no mistake, i do heart babies...) but the real reason that pro-choice is such a hard sell is because we know... we know, deep down in our heart of hearts - that the tiny one in the womb is a unique person... worthy of our help and protection. Denying that truth will never be an easy sell - even next to the complex mess that often comes with the pro-life view.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Day 8 - lover not a fighter...
A friend 'joined' me to one of those facebook groups. Y'know the ones where you automatically get email updates from the group... This one was for buying, selling and promoting *whatever* in South Calgary. i checked out the rules and it said simply, "there are no rules!" so - thinking that it might be a nice opportunity to share our 40 Days for life facebook page, i wrote: "Just promoting the facebook page for 40 Days for Life - peaceful prayer vigil for an end to abortion :) "
Within minutes, i was kicked out of the group - with 2 responses saying that my post was both inappropriate and hateful.
i was kind of surprised. Really, i was. i thought that both pro-lifers and pro-choicers could agree that an end to abortion would be a good thing... i thought that both camps agreed that abortion is a pretty horrible thing (isn't their big slogan, 'safe, legal and rare'?)... but that one group thinks that it should be 'unthinkable' and the other thinks it should be 'available on demand'...
i thought they were 'pro-choice' - not necessarily 'pro-abortion'... Is it really hateful to want to see an end to abortion? Couldn't we agree that praying for a divine end to abortion could be a good thing for our country?
Can i be honest?
i'm not really a fighter. i hate being the one making a disturbance. i don't like drawing attention to myself (especially drawing criticisms like 'inappropriate' and 'hateful'...) - i feel a little bit like i might cry :) i'm tender like that.
But if it comes right down to it, i'm willing to engage my culture on this issue. i might cry & my voice might shake... ( & yes... just from getting kicked out of a group i would have gotten out of a couple of weeks ago if i knew what buttons i needed to press - like i said... i'm not very brave)... but i'm going to continue to gently, relentlessly, with whatever amount of grace & opportunity God gives me... offer truth.
And i'll continue to (lovingly) pray for an end to abortion - whether the current cultural trend deems it appropriate or not.
Hey... ladies in South Calgary... you are loved.
.JPG)
Within minutes, i was kicked out of the group - with 2 responses saying that my post was both inappropriate and hateful.
i was kind of surprised. Really, i was. i thought that both pro-lifers and pro-choicers could agree that an end to abortion would be a good thing... i thought that both camps agreed that abortion is a pretty horrible thing (isn't their big slogan, 'safe, legal and rare'?)... but that one group thinks that it should be 'unthinkable' and the other thinks it should be 'available on demand'...
i thought they were 'pro-choice' - not necessarily 'pro-abortion'... Is it really hateful to want to see an end to abortion? Couldn't we agree that praying for a divine end to abortion could be a good thing for our country?
Can i be honest?
i'm not really a fighter. i hate being the one making a disturbance. i don't like drawing attention to myself (especially drawing criticisms like 'inappropriate' and 'hateful'...) - i feel a little bit like i might cry :) i'm tender like that.
But if it comes right down to it, i'm willing to engage my culture on this issue. i might cry & my voice might shake... ( & yes... just from getting kicked out of a group i would have gotten out of a couple of weeks ago if i knew what buttons i needed to press - like i said... i'm not very brave)... but i'm going to continue to gently, relentlessly, with whatever amount of grace & opportunity God gives me... offer truth.
And i'll continue to (lovingly) pray for an end to abortion - whether the current cultural trend deems it appropriate or not.
Hey... ladies in South Calgary... you are loved.
.JPG)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Future of Abortion in Canada
The year is 2012.
This past week, i called Ephraim my, "Sugar baby, honey, honey..." and tickled and kissed him till he squealed. He drooled all over me and waged war with his big brother to find a spot on my lap. All seven of you kids crowded into my room and snuggled under blankets laughing and talking and making movie watching virtually impossible. This is the scene in our home these days... a family, in varying degrees of maturity and growth. We live in the prairie city of Calgary in the wide expanse of land that is the country of Canada.
Abortion is legal and rampant here. i understand there are 5000 little lives lost every year at the Kensington abortion clinic that isn't too far from our house. There are no limits on abortion right now in this land... a baby can be aborted while it is half delivered from its mama's body... There is no protection for the unborn at any stage of pregnancy... Nor is there any protection for the mamas of these little ones (even minors, children themselves), who find themselves facing a crisis. In a season of vulnerability - they are invited to make a choice that no mother has the right to make.
Oh, little ones. i sigh that this is my generation...
But...
For the first time, i see a kind of a light...
i think things are changing....
i do.
i used to say things like, "Future generations will be shocked at what was legal and government funded in our day..." Thinking that the day that abortion was no longer acceptable to the general public was far, far in the future...
But i'm starting to change my mind. i don't think that the change is as far off as i had imagined. Could it be that my daughters will never take their little ones to pray for an end to abortion outside of the local clinic because abortion will have become something that our nation has rejected? Could it be that the children born to my grandchildren will be safe from genetic or sexual discrimination - and that there will be an acceptance and a sheltering for all human life - no matter the size, level of dependence or development? Could it be that classrooms of children will cringe as they look at photos of the killing that took place in the year 2012, and will ask the adult teaching them..."But why didn't anyone stop them. Weren't people shocked at the injustice? Wasn't it obvious that it was human life being taken?" & i wonder what the teacher will answer as they look together at the evidence, the photographic proof that is before them, just like my socials class asked our teacher those same questions while we watched Schindler's List in highschool... We were blind then to the double standard that condemned Hitler's killing spree... and condoned abortion in our own cities.
Your auntie posted a video to facebook a couple of months ago... a tiny second long movie of her ultrasound... a glimpse of her unborn child around 9 weeks into her pregnancy. Even i was shocked - mama of 7 and staunch prolifer - at this tiny niece or nephew... waving arms and legs and heart beating wildly in that moment that was captured. A tiny masterpiece; the workmanship of God Himself.
Seeing life like that... makes me believe that change is inevitable.
Honestly, little ones, maybe none of us will remember the night i'm writing this. i'm tired, i'm kind of grumpy... i started 3 or 4 blogposts & decided i was such a hopelessly bad writer that i should just quit blogging altogether. (Dramatic much?) Daddy travels a lot & i miss him & i feel sometimes that there are too many areas of my life where i'm banging my head against a wall... i'm frustrated, a little miserable and kinda defeated - and very much afraid...
But tonight... instead of this current painful place, i'm lifting my chin just a smidge.... i'm fixing my gaze just a tiny bit into the future...
Maybe we will manage to educate you all...
Maybe ephraim will someday sleep in his own bed... (little honey, honey sugar baby...)
Maybe i will learn to make myself understood...
Maybe there will be reconciliation and peace...
One day...
& maybe one day...
One day not too far away - the tide will turn on abortion too...
i hope i get to see it.
This past week, i called Ephraim my, "Sugar baby, honey, honey..." and tickled and kissed him till he squealed. He drooled all over me and waged war with his big brother to find a spot on my lap. All seven of you kids crowded into my room and snuggled under blankets laughing and talking and making movie watching virtually impossible. This is the scene in our home these days... a family, in varying degrees of maturity and growth. We live in the prairie city of Calgary in the wide expanse of land that is the country of Canada.
Abortion is legal and rampant here. i understand there are 5000 little lives lost every year at the Kensington abortion clinic that isn't too far from our house. There are no limits on abortion right now in this land... a baby can be aborted while it is half delivered from its mama's body... There is no protection for the unborn at any stage of pregnancy... Nor is there any protection for the mamas of these little ones (even minors, children themselves), who find themselves facing a crisis. In a season of vulnerability - they are invited to make a choice that no mother has the right to make.
Oh, little ones. i sigh that this is my generation...
But...
For the first time, i see a kind of a light...
i think things are changing....
i do.
i used to say things like, "Future generations will be shocked at what was legal and government funded in our day..." Thinking that the day that abortion was no longer acceptable to the general public was far, far in the future...
But i'm starting to change my mind. i don't think that the change is as far off as i had imagined. Could it be that my daughters will never take their little ones to pray for an end to abortion outside of the local clinic because abortion will have become something that our nation has rejected? Could it be that the children born to my grandchildren will be safe from genetic or sexual discrimination - and that there will be an acceptance and a sheltering for all human life - no matter the size, level of dependence or development? Could it be that classrooms of children will cringe as they look at photos of the killing that took place in the year 2012, and will ask the adult teaching them..."But why didn't anyone stop them. Weren't people shocked at the injustice? Wasn't it obvious that it was human life being taken?" & i wonder what the teacher will answer as they look together at the evidence, the photographic proof that is before them, just like my socials class asked our teacher those same questions while we watched Schindler's List in highschool... We were blind then to the double standard that condemned Hitler's killing spree... and condoned abortion in our own cities.
Your auntie posted a video to facebook a couple of months ago... a tiny second long movie of her ultrasound... a glimpse of her unborn child around 9 weeks into her pregnancy. Even i was shocked - mama of 7 and staunch prolifer - at this tiny niece or nephew... waving arms and legs and heart beating wildly in that moment that was captured. A tiny masterpiece; the workmanship of God Himself.
Seeing life like that... makes me believe that change is inevitable.
Honestly, little ones, maybe none of us will remember the night i'm writing this. i'm tired, i'm kind of grumpy... i started 3 or 4 blogposts & decided i was such a hopelessly bad writer that i should just quit blogging altogether. (Dramatic much?) Daddy travels a lot & i miss him & i feel sometimes that there are too many areas of my life where i'm banging my head against a wall... i'm frustrated, a little miserable and kinda defeated - and very much afraid...
But tonight... instead of this current painful place, i'm lifting my chin just a smidge.... i'm fixing my gaze just a tiny bit into the future...
Maybe we will manage to educate you all...
Maybe ephraim will someday sleep in his own bed... (little honey, honey sugar baby...)
Maybe i will learn to make myself understood...
Maybe there will be reconciliation and peace...
One day...
& maybe one day...
One day not too far away - the tide will turn on abortion too...
i hope i get to see it.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Defund Abortion in Alberta
Do you think it's possible?
i'd love to find out.
HERE is a link to their facebook page, and HERE is a link to the petition that has over 300 signatures at the time of this writing. Would you consider adding yours?
i have felt a small but significant change in my heart as of late.
i do think that i could see the day that abortion is again, "unthinkable"... We're getting closer. Women and men have been exposed to too many ultrasound pictures, recordings of beautiful little hearts beating hopefully, "whoosh, whoosh...", videos of babies - only weeks old - growing in their mama's wombs.
The wake up call is beginning. Hope is stirring...
Can you feel it?
i'd love to find out.
HERE is a link to their facebook page, and HERE is a link to the petition that has over 300 signatures at the time of this writing. Would you consider adding yours?
i have felt a small but significant change in my heart as of late.
i do think that i could see the day that abortion is again, "unthinkable"... We're getting closer. Women and men have been exposed to too many ultrasound pictures, recordings of beautiful little hearts beating hopefully, "whoosh, whoosh...", videos of babies - only weeks old - growing in their mama's wombs.
The wake up call is beginning. Hope is stirring...
Can you feel it?
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Perfect Sign
There likely isn't one... i know...
But this is a question that i ask myself again and again as i prepare my mind and heart for the 40 Day prayer vigil that is set to begin in 2 months.
There is often division among prolifers over methods, wording, attitudes etc...
We've even had disagreements about signs on this tiny blog.
We need more discussion - more understanding for each other - more sharing of wisdom & opinions... more soul searching.
Why does it matter?
It matters because the signs that we wear at the Kensington Clinic are likely the last prolife messages that these women will see before making a final decision about the wee life they are carrying. It matters because we are a last line of defence. It matters because God loves these families... and so too must we. It matters because "they will know we are Christians by our love". It matters because we want the signs to be compelling - because this is life and death we're talking about.
Let's just face it... If we're going to choose to wear a sign to an abortion clinic... the message on that sign matters.
This doesn't mean we'll all wear the same sign. We will all fill in different gaps, we'll appeal to different hurting individuals, we'll be authentic - and because we're authentic, we'll be diverse.
My faithful little sign that i've worn for the past year has a simple message, "You are loved." The reverse states, "Life is a Gift".
Other signs read, "Look at the Ultrasound", "Abortion Stops a Beating Heart", or simply, "40 Days for Life".
We're facing a difficult situation here at the Kensington clinic. We're not allowed to cross that road. We're not allowed to speak - unless spoken to. We're limited in our access and in our numbers... What words would reach into that desperate situation... What words could cut through the pain, fear and numbness - to the heart of a mother or father... What words would have the deepest impact... while leaving the smallest wound?
i'm thinking of words today like, "Can i help?", "Ask me why i'm here"...
But even these... and the blinking cursor that i stared at for minutes as my wracked my brain for that perfect combination of words that would stop a course of action... seem so insufficient.
The truth is... they are.
& so we bathe them in tears and prayer. We allow our hearts to break with compassion and we bring our requests brokenly to our Maker.
Oh, God... prepare my heart... & give me the words.
***************************************************
What would the perfect sign say? Why? If you had the chance to speak... what would you say?
But this is a question that i ask myself again and again as i prepare my mind and heart for the 40 Day prayer vigil that is set to begin in 2 months.
There is often division among prolifers over methods, wording, attitudes etc...
We've even had disagreements about signs on this tiny blog.
We need more discussion - more understanding for each other - more sharing of wisdom & opinions... more soul searching.
Why does it matter?
It matters because the signs that we wear at the Kensington Clinic are likely the last prolife messages that these women will see before making a final decision about the wee life they are carrying. It matters because we are a last line of defence. It matters because God loves these families... and so too must we. It matters because "they will know we are Christians by our love". It matters because we want the signs to be compelling - because this is life and death we're talking about.
Let's just face it... If we're going to choose to wear a sign to an abortion clinic... the message on that sign matters.
This doesn't mean we'll all wear the same sign. We will all fill in different gaps, we'll appeal to different hurting individuals, we'll be authentic - and because we're authentic, we'll be diverse.
My faithful little sign that i've worn for the past year has a simple message, "You are loved." The reverse states, "Life is a Gift".
Other signs read, "Look at the Ultrasound", "Abortion Stops a Beating Heart", or simply, "40 Days for Life".
We're facing a difficult situation here at the Kensington clinic. We're not allowed to cross that road. We're not allowed to speak - unless spoken to. We're limited in our access and in our numbers... What words would reach into that desperate situation... What words could cut through the pain, fear and numbness - to the heart of a mother or father... What words would have the deepest impact... while leaving the smallest wound?
i'm thinking of words today like, "Can i help?", "Ask me why i'm here"...
But even these... and the blinking cursor that i stared at for minutes as my wracked my brain for that perfect combination of words that would stop a course of action... seem so insufficient.
The truth is... they are.
& so we bathe them in tears and prayer. We allow our hearts to break with compassion and we bring our requests brokenly to our Maker.
Oh, God... prepare my heart... & give me the words.
***************************************************
What would the perfect sign say? Why? If you had the chance to speak... what would you say?
Monday, October 31, 2011
Day 34 - i'm learning
On Friday and Saturday i had the chance to attend the Life 2011 National Prolife conference. There were people who have been involved in prolife since before any laws even began to change, long before the years of publicly funded abortions, and certainly... before i was even born.
i was hoping it would be ok to post here some 'learning posts'... i think for me, better understanding our situation in Canada helps me to pray...
It was 1969 when abortion first began to be decriminalized in Canada. From there, we have never been able to stem the tide. The Canadian Supreme Court struck Canada's abortion laws completely in 1988 and declared them "unconstitutional". Since then, there has been no legal protection for tiny ones growing in the womb. In 1991, the supreme court ruled that a baby even in the process of being born, was not a person (even if the baby's head was outside of her mother's body).
In 1999 Calgary nurses from the Foothills hospital complained about a late term abortions in which the children were born alive and left to die, and in particular, a late (35 week) abortion in which the child was born alive and lived for 12 hours. The police found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, (without interviewing any nurses)- but the "pregnancy termination guidelines" were subsequently changed to suggest that doctor's consider feticide in utero before delivery (by intracardiac injection of KCI).
You can read more about Canada's timeline HERE and HERE. (You'll notice the slant in the language from the two websites - one being prolife, the other prochoice).
Since 1969, more than three million Canadian children have lost their lives to abortion. i wonder sometimes about those three million... some of them should be older than me by now... & every day the number grows. We can't leave this Canada to our children.
i hate hallowe'en, but at the conference this weekend, Peter Menzies talked about how there are dwindling numbers of trick or treaters as of late... He told us that the number of children between the ages of 5-14 has dropped by 10% in the past 9 years. He said it's the smallest number of children in that age bracket since 1988...
What happened in 1988 again?
i was hoping it would be ok to post here some 'learning posts'... i think for me, better understanding our situation in Canada helps me to pray...
It was 1969 when abortion first began to be decriminalized in Canada. From there, we have never been able to stem the tide. The Canadian Supreme Court struck Canada's abortion laws completely in 1988 and declared them "unconstitutional". Since then, there has been no legal protection for tiny ones growing in the womb. In 1991, the supreme court ruled that a baby even in the process of being born, was not a person (even if the baby's head was outside of her mother's body).
In 1999 Calgary nurses from the Foothills hospital complained about a late term abortions in which the children were born alive and left to die, and in particular, a late (35 week) abortion in which the child was born alive and lived for 12 hours. The police found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, (without interviewing any nurses)- but the "pregnancy termination guidelines" were subsequently changed to suggest that doctor's consider feticide in utero before delivery (by intracardiac injection of KCI).
You can read more about Canada's timeline HERE and HERE. (You'll notice the slant in the language from the two websites - one being prolife, the other prochoice).
Since 1969, more than three million Canadian children have lost their lives to abortion. i wonder sometimes about those three million... some of them should be older than me by now... & every day the number grows. We can't leave this Canada to our children.
i hate hallowe'en, but at the conference this weekend, Peter Menzies talked about how there are dwindling numbers of trick or treaters as of late... He told us that the number of children between the ages of 5-14 has dropped by 10% in the past 9 years. He said it's the smallest number of children in that age bracket since 1988...
What happened in 1988 again?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)