Pro-Life Activism

Standing in the gap “Right to Life Sunday” through the eyes of a child by Laura Ashley

“Lord, we come here today in your Spirit.  May the cars that pass by us be reminded of you as the Giver of Life. It is our prayer that hearts will be changed and lives will be saved. Amen.”

We let go of each other’s hands and piled out of our 15-passenger van. It is always quite a spectacle to maneuver eight children in and out of our “bus.”

We went to the table where the pro-life signs lay and read over the different catch-phrases on each one. “Mom, which sign should I take?” Troy asked me. “I think that you should each pray and ask Jesus to show you the one that really touches your heart,” I answered. I helped our three youngest children get settled on a blanket in the shade, then joined the others at the table. Each of our five older kids made their selection as to what message they would proclaim that “Right To Life Sunday.”

Each year, for one hour we silently hold signs and pray that the horrible practice of abortion will one day be done away with in our country. It doesn’t seem like we could make much of an impact in such a small town, but I remind myself that all over the nation, in cities large and small, fellow Christians are doing the same thing. To us, in our town of 2,000, the effort is just a small step for man. As a nation, though, it’s a giant step for humanity, born and preborn.

Anthony, our oldest son, home from college, selected a poster that stated “ABORTION HURTS WOMEN.” I wondered if he was thinking of the young girl with the knife-scarred wrist that he had met recently at his work. She had gotten pregnant, and her parents had insisted that she have an abortion so she wouldn’t ruin her future with a baby. It seemed that her future wasn’t very hopeful now. She had attempted suicide, and turned to drugs to hide her guilt. Anthony walked to the edge of the street and held up his sign.

Corey chose next: “GOD, FORGIVE OUR NATION, AND HEAL OUR LAND.” I could see that this phrase was well suited for our 15-year-old. Corey had always been a “change the world” kind of kid. He had always volunteered in different community service programs. He was also very active in Boy Scouts. This desire to get involved and make a change was reflected through his sign.

I was not surprised when Victoria, our beautiful child of 12, reached for the sign “ADOPTION IS A LOVING OPTION,” as her statement. She truly knew the blessedness of those words, for she herself had been adopted. Her mother, a young teen, had given Victoria the greatest gift of love—Life. With confidence, she joined the ranks along the road.

Troy carefully picked “JESUS FORGIVES AND HEALS.” He always seemed to have mercy for the lost. This gentle 9-year-old with the heart of a man had chosen well.

“Mommy, what do they all say?” Jordy asked me. I patiently read each poster to him, and explained their meaning when needed. After deliberating for a moment, Jordy grabbed his choice off the stack and ran to the blanket where his brothers and sister played. He knelt down and kissed baby Trinity, our youngest, on the cheek. “Trinity, I’m so glad no-body killed you.” He got up and followed his dad across to the other side of the street. Jordy went to stand on a corner where a red light stops traffic at intervals. He held his sign up boldly and looked at the faces as they passed by. His message, “ABORTION KILLS CHILDREN.”

As our time came to an end, we returned the posters to the table to be put away until next time. Jordy ran up to me with his eyes shining. “Mommy, guess what?” I could see he was overwhelmed with joy. “Four different people read my sign. I saw their eyes looking right at it. I think I saved four babies’ lives today!”

Two days later, a friend called early one morning. “I had the neatest dream about Jordy last night. I dreamed that he was sitting in a rocking chair. He had four babies in his lap and arms, only they were still forming as if in the womb. Each one was at a different stage of development. The best part was that they were all smiling up at Jordy. Tears came to my eyes as I let her share the dream with Jordy. We understood the dream. God had let a very special six-year-old have a glimpse of the work he had done on “Right to Life Sunday.” We had made a difference.

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About the author

Laura Ashley

Laura Ashley is a pro-life writer and speaker from Blanco, Tex. She and her husband are church pastors and have eight children.