It's been five years since Abby Johnson walked out of her Planned Parenthood abortion facility on October 5, 2009 in Bryan/College Station, Texas -- the very place where 40 Days for Life started. I will never forget that day.
I'm listing the top five things that I have learned about Abby Johnson since she crossed into uncharted water and came knocking on our door.
3. Abby is generous
I know Abby well and we have been through a lot. I know her strengths and weaknesses and she knows mine. I must admit that I have been the most surprised at how generous she is with both her time and money.
She has a big heart and is quick to act. She was protesting the banquet of the Coalition for Life in 2009 ? and then thanked the crowd for their pro-life work in 2010!
I don't want to go into details, because most of her generosity is very private. But I have seen Abby behind the scenes write checks to meet the payroll of struggling pro-life organizations and to former clinic workers who left but then could not pay their bills. I've seen her and her husband Doug open their home to pro-life interns and college students traveling on mission work.
I remember when she had stomach flu and was literally sick in the restroom at an event she was speaking at, went on stage to give her testimony ? and then went back to the restroom. At a 40 Days for Life trip to England, she had just found out she was pregnant with child number 4 (Carter) when she got delayed 18 hours at the airport and then was sick the entire trip. But you would have never known it as she went through hostile media interviews and gave four speeches with no payment ? all without one complaint.
As we traveled from venue to venue in England, her husband Doug and I began to joke in her presence about how miserable she must be. She kept a full schedule and didn't complain once; and believe me, she could have. Half asleep on the way to the airport, we drove her by Buckingham Palace and just pointed to it since she was on the phone doing a media interview as we drove past.
We were able to laugh about it. That trip is much funnier now that it is over, but at the end of the day that trip, along with so many behind-the-scenes incidents, have shown me just how generous Abby is and her willingness to sacrifice to defend the unborn.
NEXT ... #2. Abby is stubborn
Abby Johnson is the director of And Then There Were None and the author of Unplanned.
