The sight of people joining together to pray in front of an abortion center is startling! Sometimes our public prayer really bothers people. I think it rattles the conscience. Some people will stop to pray with us after driving by many times. Some like to ask questions, or debate pro-life vs. pro-abortion. Some just want to yell and scream at us...venting, I suppose. The truth is that the prayers we say in front of the abortion center is our power source.

The words we speak to the women and girls is not what stops them from having the abortion. The literature or CPC referral cards we give them is not what turns them away. No, we do not have that kind of power. It is God who is in charge on the sidewalk in front of the abortion center. He decides what the outcome will be for every person coming and going, including the abortionist and his staff.

I cringe when I hear sidewalk counselors spewing out numbers of "saves" and "turns". These are PEOPLE, not "saves" and "turns." It is not for us to know what God has planned for the people we speak with at the abortion center. Truthfully, we rarely know the outcomes. It is our mission to do whatever His Will is for us, and do it to the best of our ability. To me that means to act and speak with complete charity, obey the law, and respect everyone we come in contact with including the abortionist and his staff.

And now that being said....I am having a hard time with a sidewalk counselor who comes one day a week with her group. She intentionally breaks the law, harrasses people, and is rude to the staff. The police came when I was there with them. I explained to the officer that I am not with her, and I showed him our written agreement from the police chief. I feel she is unraveling the relationships Kathy established and we have maintained with the police, the neighbors around the clinic, and with the abortionist's staff. Our relationship with the staff is vital. This is the second time a nurse has offered to ditribute our cards from the inside. Our relationship with the police enables us to BE THERE. Chris has already been removed for breaking the law.

But, She does not care about the law and such. She follows the Joe Scheidler, Chicago method, and we are of the Fr. Riley, Helpers of His Precious Infants persuasion. She told me that we are not on the same team. I agreed! This is a sad situation. Satan is the divider. I am sure he would love to have us go against each other to distract us from the reason we are there....to be His instruments in front of the abortion center...doing His will...witnessing....evangelizing...and living the Gospel.

My Pastor, Fr. Browne, said in a homily that when you put yourself "out there" to do God's will, the road will get rocky. I wondered, at the time, what he meant by that. Now I know. We are challenged. God steps back to show us our true selves. Ouch...now we can learn just how charitable and humble (or not) are we really are in the face of a challenge! When the road is smooth it is SO easy. Now that is rocky, what will we do or say? I will have to pray about it. I am too weak, I need His help to know. When the police officer came to the sidewalk because laws were broken, he asked us in a loud voice, "Who is in charge here?" For obvious reasons I did not say it, but I knew the only right answer to that question was, "God is in charge here!"