Dear Friend of Life:
I can honestly tell you that I can’t believe it.
In the first 13 days of our new Sidewalk Advocacy program, we have already seen 31 babies saved by God’s grace! WOW!
If you had told me that this is what we’d be witnessing in just less than 2 weeks into our new program — quite honestly — I would have responded in disbelief.
But the God of miracles is moving …and we are so happy to be along for the ride!
We humbly ask you to continue to join us in prayer for all sidewalk counselors everywhere and all of the clients they come in contact with. Continue to pray for lives to be saved, hearts to be transformed, workers to leave the business and abortion facilities to close!
And just a quick reminder that if YOU feel called to bring a Sidewalk Advocates for Life Sidewalk Advocacy program to your local community this Summer, applications are open from May 1-15! More details at www.sidewalkadvocates.org …or email us with any questions you may have at info@sidewalkadvocates.org!
As we begin WEEK 3 of this beautiful adventure, we’d love to share with you some of these incredible stories of lives saved and hearts impacted! After that, we invite you to pray along with our weekly devotional, written by one of our Program Advisors, Dorothy Richardson of the Houston Coalition for Life!
The first group of trained Sidewalk Advocates in Virginia Beach, VA!
Marcia and Cheri are our incredible SAFL Program Directors in Virginia Beach, VA! They have already trained one of the largest Sidewalk Advocates for Life groups in the world!
Marcia shared recently… “We had 22 for the first training here in Virginia Beach/Norfolk on Saturday. …My priest was listening in to the training and was very impressed as well. We had 3 women and 1 man take literature already (the very first) morning …and promise to call or go to our local crisis pregnancy center. Although I have been sidewalk counseling for quite a while, the (training) really helped me today to counsel a young woman who was turned away by Planned Parenthood because she was 30 minutes late for her appointment. …I am hopeful that she will go to the (Pregnancy Resource Center) as she agreed to in the meantime. …Praise God for the great work you are doing.”
Cheri had a beautiful experience, as well, while praying and sidewalk counseling at the abortion facility recently…
“I talked with a girl …who said she came for a pregnancy test. I couldn’t convince her to go to the (Pregnancy Resource Center), so she went in for her appointment. I did get to talk to her for about 5 minutes and told her all the info and showed (her) my number, etc. I had to leave an hour after we talked, so my heart was heavy as she was in their hands so long.
As I rounded the corner …she called and said, ‘Hi, Cheri! This is (name), and I’m keeping my baby!’
So I meet her down the road with a blessing bag, and we got to talk some more. She’s going to let us know when she finds out if she’s having a boy or girl!”
WHAT A VICTORY!
THANK YOU, MARCIA & CHERI!
WEEK 3 (APRIL 13-19, 2014): THE BEAUTY OF LOVE
by Dorothy Richardson, Programs Coordinator, Houston Coalition for Life
Verse(s): “He will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; the reproach of His people He will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said: ‘Indeed, this is our God; we looked to Him, and He saved us! This is the LORD to whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that He has saved us!’” – Isaiah 25: 8-9
Reflection: While praying on the sidewalk with my fiance one day, he mentioned how beautiful he found the trees and greenery surrounding the Planned Parenthood abortion facility. I shrugged and replied that people usually comment how ironic it seems; I’ve even heard people wish the trees and plants would all wither and die, to show the darkness of the abortion facility.
He thought about it for a moment then replied, “I can understand that feeling, but I don’t see it that way. To me, it’s a sign of God’s power: even with all the ugliness inside, His beauty is still pressing in on every side. Eventually, the light and beauty will win. Someday, the darkness will be banished for good.”
What a powerful reminder this was for me – even when we face the ugliness of abortion, we can recognize that God’s beauty is still pressing in on every side, that we do not stand alone in our opposition to this darkness. In fact, we have to remember that WE are meant to be part of the beauty. Our attitudes of gentleness and compassion, our offering of hope and life-affirming alternatives – these must be a sign to abortion-vulnerable families that they are not alone in the darkness.
Let’s pray that we would never lose the conviction that we fight FROM VICTORY – we already know Who will win the battle for Life. Because Christ has destroyed the power of death by His Passion and Resurrection, we can bravely battle against the culture of death with hope and joy! The victory is assured; He calls us to join the fight!
Call to Action: Commit to a time when you can go out to an abortion facility to pray. While you are there, look around for a sign of God’s beauty and let it encourage your heart. Then, make a list of ways you have seen God pour out His blessings in your life through your efforts to defend the lives of the unborn.
Commit to a time when you can go out to an abortion facility to pray. While you are there, look around for a sign of God’s beauty and let it encourage your heart. Then, make a list of ways you have seen God pour out His blessings in your life through your efforts to defend the lives of the unborn.