It was a quiet morning at Planned Parenthood. At 7:15 a.m., no client had yet arrived –- but Sidewalk Advocate Paul was already on the sidewalk, waiting for any early appointment arrivals. When he saw a young couple slowly drive into the parking lot’s far entrance, he waved and called out to get their attention.
The driver rolled down the window with a somber expression. Paul greeted the man and woman and told them, “I’m here to offer help and support for anyone facing pregnancy.”
The couple remained silent but listened intently. Paul felt a boldness for life and for Christ flow through his heart and mind. “If you’re going in for abortion, you don’t have to do that,” he said matter-of-factly. “There’s help – there’s help.” He offered them a brochure and list of services from the nearby pregnancy resource center, which they took without a word.
He watched prayerfully as they pulled into the parking lot and remained inside the vehicle. After just a few minutes, he was surprised to see the car backing out of the spot and approaching the driveway. As the young man braked, the girl rolled down her window to speak with Paul. With a big smile, she said, “Thanks for your advice. We were going to find out about abortion.” When he asked if they decided to keep their baby, she nodded. Paul was joyfully surprised. “Praise God!” he exclaimed.
Paul later reflected on this encounter: “I think that some women thinking about abortion as a solution to their unexpected pregnancy just need that little nudge, a sign that abortion is not the right path for them.” He shared that since this day, he has a newfound confidence to approach abortion clients with similar loving boldness.
The takeaway for me is that there are those few people who are still weighing abortion as a possible solution to an unexpected pregnancy, even as they show up at Planned Parenthood. Someone needs to be there to tip the scales in favor of life.
Submitted by Sidewalk Advocates for Life – Spokane