Abortion is the most controversial topic in the world...so is it really possible to change people's minds?
It's possible--and it happens all the time!
An angry woman approached teenage 40 Days for Life participants in Edmond, Oklahoma, to give them a piece of her mind.
"She unloaded," explained Tori, the local leader. "This woman was raped as a child, and if she would have gotten pregnant, she thought she deserved the right to abort the baby."
A vigil participant named Maria took the woman's best shots before responding with compassion: "I understand your pain." The tone of the conversation changed immediately.
With the temperature turned down, a productive discussion ensued.
"The woman realized that we aren’t the bad, evil people that Planned Parenthood leads them to believe," Tori explained. "By the end of the conversation, this woman told [the teens] she hopes their campaign is very productive! Maria changed this woman's entire perspective!"
Maria was anxious about the encounter. But by simply listening patiently and affirming the pain of the angry woman, she changed a heart!
Niagara Falls, New York
Five boys on bicycles swarmed the 40 Days for Life vigil in Niagara Falls, asking, "What about a girl who is raped?!"
Prayer warriors responded with a question of their own: "What should be done to the rapist?"
"The rapist should go to jail forever," one of the boys replied.
The question prompted one boy to make an important realization. "Why would you punish the baby?" he asked.
The exchange opened the door for a meaningful discussion.
"It was as if he found the courage to say what he knew to be true but never had the nerve to say in front of his peers," reported Dolly, the local campaign leader. "We talked to the boys for a while, explaining that each of us started out as a tiny child to be protected and given life."
Ann Arbor, Michigan
An angry passerby began ranting at 40 Days for Life participants conducting a Jericho March around their local Planned Parenthood abortion facility.
"Michael could hear the hurt in her rant and gave her space to say her piece," wrote Sandie, the longtime leader in Ann Arbor.
When Michael finally spoke, he commended the woman for her passion and for speaking up, opening the door for a dialogue that ended not with yelling, but with hugs.
"Our God is an awesome God!" Sandie exclaimed. "Please keep [her] in your prayers. She--like many others--is deeply hurting because Planned Parenthood PREYS on hurting individuals."
Another changed heart led to a saved life, as a couple left Planned Parenthood and announced that they decided not to have the abortion!
And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed."
--Luke 7:6-7
Dear Lord, I surrender my fear to your loving care. Give mothers and fathers the courage to invite you into their lives in good times and bad, and grant them the faith to place their children in your hands. Lead them to doctors who will give their children the very best chance to live. Amen.
