Standing in the Gap - August 8, 2013

Cleveland, Ohio



Starting today I begin a part-time job caring for a 95-year-old woman, so my time at the abortuary will be cut short on Thursdays from now on.  Since we were having car and scheduling issues, I needed to take my husband to work and use his truck, allowing my daughter to take my van to work.  My husband starts work at 8am, so  I decided to head straight to the abortuary knowing I would be there by myself for at least a half hour. 

It was 8:30 am when I arrived to see two women already standing at the front door trying to get in.  As I pulled up and parked on the street, they were walking back to their vehicle.  They kept looking at me, wondering if I was one of the clinic workers.  I picked up some of my items and walked towards where we set up.  They approached me and the taller lady asked if I knew what time the building opened.  I told her they wouldn’t be open for a while yet and asked why they were here.  She told me that she was here to get an abortion.  When I asked her, “Why?", she replied that she was 45 years old and had already had all the kids she wants and wasn’t going to go through another pregnancy at her age.  I was so sad.  Instead of seeing this as a blessing, a miracle from God, she only saw a burden, something to be discarded to move on with her life.  I continued to speak with her about other options such as adoption and she became angry.  Just then one of the workers came speeding down the driveway honking her horn and yelling at them for standing in the driveway.  They asked me who that was, so I let them know that she is one of the wonderful workers who will be helping to kill her baby.  As the worker approached, the women told her why they were there and she took them to the front door.  I followed along speaking to them and pleading with her for her baby’s life.  They still could not get in the front door, so I had a captive audience as I stood on the sidewalk a couple of feet away.  The clinic worker told the ladies that I get paid to stand out there.  Though I told her that it was untrue and that I was there on my own dime and time because I care about women and their children and want them to know the truth, she still did not believe me.  Finally, after several minutesof me pleading with the woman and her yelling at me, the worker told them to go wait in the car so they wouldn’t have to listen to me any more.  This encounter reminded me of a woman named Kathy, whom I met in the church nursery when my first daughter was a baby.  I was 28 having my first baby and she was 42 having her "surprise" second baby.  I kept thinking about them and thinking how sad it would have been for Meredith to not have been born just because Kathy thought she was too old.  We cheapen life for everyone when we decide some aren't worthy.

 After they left, I introduced myself to the worker and asked her name.  She told me her name is Anita and that she is a registered nurse who helps prepare the women for the abortions and cares for them afterwards.  I spoke to Anita about what goes on in the abortuary and told her that she knows she is killing babies, which she agreed was true;  so I asked why she doesn’t get another job. She didn't answer but told me she doesn’t agree with abortion, which I find hard to believe since she works there.  I asked how many are there because they use it as birth control and she confessed that it is a very high percentage.  She mentioned several come for three or more abortions, which she thinks is terrible and should be limited.  She never mentioned rape but mentioned fetal anomalies for which local doctors refer the women to Marty for abortions.  I told her how sad that makes me that they would not give the child a chance at life but kill the child for “what could be.”  She said it is easier when the babies are first trimester but that she has seen a couple late term and they were hard on her.  I also asked her if women seem relieved after the procedure because they have taken care of what they think is the problem in their circumstances. She said yes, that for a lot of them that is the immediate reaction. I reminded her though of the many who suffer depression, suicide attempts and PTSD from abortion. I told her of women I know who still regret and lament their abortions 20, 30, and 40 years later. She agreed those are very real problems long term. We had quite a bit of time to talk until the other worker unlocked the door and let her in.When I persisted that she should find another job where she wasn’t involved in killing, she said that she has been very troubled at night recently.  We continued to talk for quite a while until another clinic worker came from inside the building and unlocked the door. I heard her say to Anita, “Was she bothering you?”  Anita replied, “No, she is very nice.”  May God use me to show Anita the truth of His word and may she turn to him in repentance and faith and leave the murder mill.

“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?"  ~ Ezekiel 18:21-23 ESV 

Pastor Dale arrived around 9 am and Jillian and her two children around 9:30 am.  There were nine women who entered the killing place today…6 black, 3 white.  Only one took information from me.  Eight were in before I left and one entered later, but Jillian said she did not take information. 

There was a very pregnant woman who entered with her backpack and pillow.  She had to be late second trimester or early third.  I pleaded with her and her friend, but they wouldn’t even look at me.  The friend kept coming in and out and we continued to plead with her that she would be a real friend and save her friend and the baby from this horror, but she wouldn’t listen at all. 

One lady pulled up in front of the door and started swearing and screaming at Jillian and Pastor Dale.  She walked the younger woman in and then came back swearing and shouting and telling us how we were going to hell for judging. Through the expletives she told us she goes to church every Sunday and she is forgiven and we are the ones in danger of hell.  She continued screaming at us for a while and screamed all the way as she drove away.  How many people who consider themselves Christian are in real danger of hell themselves as they live with the idea that they can live however they want on earth as long as they go to church or prayed some prayer?  “Judge not” is the mantra of those who love their sin and don’t want to be confronted abut them.  Do they not know that they are being warned of the judgment and wrath to come for those who practice such deeds of darkness as murder of the innocent?  There are so many tares among the wheat.

Finally, I see that God’s hand was in all of this.  Having to arrange cars, schedules, and cut my time short was annoying to me; but I see that God allowed all those things to get me there early to speak to those two women and, ultimately, to Anita.    Please pray for Anita.  Pray that God would continue to trouble her with the sin she is committing against those precious babies.  Pray that her eyes would be opened to the little bodies being ripped apart and her heart softened to the silent cries.  Pray that she would repent and believe and leave that hellish place. Pray that, if God is willing, He would use me to continue to speak his truths to Anita and, hopefully, see her salvation.
   

"Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." ~Proverbs 28:13 ESV

There are a couple weeks that I did not write about my experiences.  I couldn’t.  Life was too overwhelming.  I may get back to it, or not; but on a good and happy note, Pastor Dale reported that last week when I couldn’t be there that a woman who was about to abort looked at his pictures of the aborted babies and said she couldn’t go through with it.  He found out she was going to have twins.  She changed her mind and decided to keep the babies.  Two precious little lives saved and a mother saved from a lifetime of pain and regret.  Praise God!!! 

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support.  May God get the glory.

Standing in the gap,
Laura

1. Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
   Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
   Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
   Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.
   
   • Refrain:
     Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
     Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
2. Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
   Waiting the penitent child to receive;
   Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
   He will forgive if they only believe.
3. Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
   Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
   Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
   Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.
4. Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
   Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
   Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
   Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.