BRINGING HOPE WHERE THERE IS NONE
By Therese Aukofer, Pro-Life Wisconsin Program Director
I recently received an email from 40 Days for Life that began like this:
“Coronavirus lockdowns -- civil unrest -- a presidential election -- disastrous Supreme Court decisions.
2020 is using every temptation to make us weary...
...but we must fight on by giving our frailty over to Christ.”
This year certainly has been full of news cycles with disheartening reminders of an increasingly unstable world. For most of us, our normal routine has been disrupted and we’ve grown increasingly hesitant. For others, going out to the pharmacy, grocery store, hardware store, or gas station, remains a necessity. Many are unemployed; hardships make us weary and hesitant to step forward.
This weariness and hesitancy got me thinking about a particular place in our communities that has remained open for business but should never be visited — abortion facilities. Whether there is a pandemic or not, thousands of preborn babies die at Wisconsin abortion facilities each year. Every day, beautiful, irreplaceable, unique and precious preborn babies are killed. Their last chance of survival is found in the compassionate appeal of sidewalk counselors who remind vulnerable moms of the abundance of help and hope that await them in choosing life for their babies.
Regrettably, many of us remain hesitant to go pray on the sidewalks outside an abortion facility, even when there isn’t a pandemic. But especially in these times of unrest, the sidewalks are in desperate need of praying men and women.
We no longer have the luxury to opt out of being present on the sidewalks because we’re hesitant, afraid, or too busy. We can’t rationalize to ourselves that “someone else” will be there praying if we don’t show up. Just like the lives of the preborn, our prayers and physical presence matter!
40 Days for Life vigils bring hope where there is none.
Praying on the sidewalks is all about peacefully standing up for the vulnerable babies, and their moms. We may not all be called to serve as a sidewalk counselor, but, we are called to pray on the sidewalks. Our physical presence is a statement of love and a reminder of hope. We can’t let fear and hesitancy hold us back. We must boldly be there for our brothers and sisters in Christ with an attitude of humility, compassion, and kindness. It is always about the babies and their moms. And every day that we’re there, hearts and souls are transformed by God’s merciful love.
Every single day of the 40 Days for Life campaign, we must pray, intercede for the lives of our preborn brothers and sisters, be present on the sidewalks as that last link of hope and love for moms. Our prayers of intercession, reparation, and petition are vital.
We may live in uncertain times, but there is absolute certainty in this truth: lives are saved because YOU pray, because YOU come down to the sidewalks. YOU give hope and love to those who are in most need. Moms do choose life (even in a pandemic) and that decision gives their preborn babies the beautiful gift of life.
If we can social distance to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, hair salon, or gas station, we can make time to pray on the sidewalks.
Let’s bring hope where there is none. I hope to see you down on the sidewalks!
40 Days for Life Fall campaign begins September 23rd, 2020 and continues through November 1, 2020. Sign up here for an hour of prayer between 7am and 7pm…and bring a friend!