By Monte Harms- standforlife.net
This originally appeared on Stand For Life
I am standing in front of an abortion facility to be a defender of the unborn. A woman goes in to have an abortion and totally ignores those standing on the sidewalk. Sometimes her boyfriend, father, mother, or friend who brought her will be verbally combative with the defenders. It’s spiritual warfare at its core.
Part of my human nature urges me (unsuccessfully, I might add) to say or even yell:
“You do know you’re killing your own baby.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Who in the world would kill their own baby?”
… or tell the boyfriend or whoever brought her:
“Do you know you are an accessory to this killing?”
“You are having your own baby (or grandbaby) killed!”
“You call yourself a friend by helping her kill her own baby!”
… or after an abortion my human nature tells me that I shouldn’t have anything nice to say to her or those who brought her. I should ignore them because they just had a fellow human killed.
A few have used the human nature methods, but what has been effective at the late-term abortion facility in Albuquerque and across the country is not using your human nature, but Christ’s nature.
Having Christ’s love flow through those on the sidewalk have saved lives and comforted those after they had their abortions. Bud Shaver shares recent encounters from the sidewalk of Southwestern Women’s Options in Albuquerque, NM:
Everyone has a picture, concept…stereotype of what a public presence at a abortion clinic is. Let me share with you what I witnessed and experienced today out at late-term mill SWO. A woman came out of the abortion clinic after she had her abortion. Also, a college student from UNM was waiting while his girlfriend was inside having an abortion (his child). Jennifer and others were able to wave them over to talk with them…they didn’t just talk to these people, they were able to hug, weep, minister to, pray and love them! This is more than a snap-shot of pro-life ministry…This is what grace, mercy, love…Christ looks like. We have an opportunity to live out Christ’s love and share Him with those who desperately need to find Him! We love because He first loved us…We have been lost and broken until we found the healer! I witnessed what Christianity is…I witnessed Christ being lifted up and drawing the lost to Him! I was also able to talk to the abortion clinic manager. Orae gave her our latest handout (from HLA) so she would know what help and information the women received from us. (A UPS driver told us that they have a sign posted inside the clinic stating “Pray to end sidewalk harassment!”) I was able to tell her we cared and were praying for her too. She told us they were “Having a hard time keeping up with us!” We have had several turnarounds and saves this month…that we know about! We have the opportunity to be His hands, feet, body…and heart to these men and women!
Bud shares other interactions:
Pretty intense spiritual battle today out at Late-Term mill SWO (learn more at www.lateterm.com)! A woman got out of a taxi with all her luggage and as she headed into SWO. I told her that we cared about her and were willing to help her with whatever she needed. She stopped and asked if I had $3,000…I told her Yes, if that’s what it would take to save her baby, I would come up with the 3 grand! Bobby Coffman Jr and Collette Pacheco-Coffman spoke with her for 5 minutes as she had the door to SWO open. She eventually went inside. After 10-15 minutes she came back out to talk with us and see if we really were willing to help her. She told us that she was from Washington, and her husband left her and she was all alone…We told her that she was not alone…We were here for her! She did not believe us, so I told her to put us to the test! After a lot of tears, talking with the executive director of Project Defending Life (PDL) who arranged a couple of days in a hotel so she could just think more about everything, trying to get her husband on the phone…she went back inside SWO. A half hour later she came back out with all her luggage and left SWO with Jennifer Jacobson Bresett and headed up to PDL…the battle still rages! She would not give us her name, but please keep her and this situation in your prayers!
Another young girl pulled up in her car and had her young son with her. She was headed into SWO but came over to talk to us as we offered her help. She too left following another sidewalk counselor (today was her first time praying and offering help out at an abortion mill) heading up to PDL for an ultrasound and resources! The battle is raging, but in the midst of the storm, there is hope for the hopeless. We are lighting up the darkness…We are ending abortion one woman, one child, one day at a time…and to God be the Glory!
Many who go in to have an abortion know what they are destroying, but they often feel that abortion is the only alternative for them. Unfortunately, the outside pressure from others to abort is tremendous. But when an alternative is displayed that shows Christ’s love for them and help for their situation, their eyes are sometimes opened. Project Defending Life in Albuquerque and other organizations throughout the country give sidewalk counselors the necessary tools to assist the needy. PDL offers all types of assistance to those that feel backed into a corner with no way out. Often when the woman and man involved sees an ultrasound of their baby at PDL or another pregnancy center, they feel there isn’t any reason for them to destroy that life. Also, if they know there is someone there to assist them financially and with moral or spiritual support, they can see the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Thousands of sidewalk counselors and pregnancy centers across America are that beacon of light for the unborn and those who want to abort.
Christ’s love wins out while human nature often destroys the chance to save or comfort the most vulnerable unborn and born humans.
Read more of Bud Shaver’s encounters from the sidewalk at Prayer and a Pro-Life Witness.
