March 4, 2009
Many families have been blessed by the mission of
40 Days for Life -- and sometimes in the most
surprising ways.
Here's a story about last fall's campaign that I just
learned about this week.
A young man's mother insisted on two occasions that he
drive her to the vigil outside the abortion center as
she had signed up for hours in the middle of the
night, but did not want to go alone.
When they arrived, the mom went to pray, but the young
man refused to get out of the car...
...But the experience still had an impact.
The mother didn't know it at the time, but her son's
girlfriend was pregnant, and planned to have an
abortion -- at the very facility where the 40 Days
for Life vigil was in progress.
But the young man was so touched by what his mother
was doing he called his girlfriend shortly afterward.
Fortunately, she answered the phone -- she was at the
abortion center for her appointment.
He urged her to get out of that place. And she did.
The baby will be born in July. Praise God!
A family in Kalamazoo, Michigan heard some unexpected
wisdom from their 10-year-old daughter, who was at the
vigil with them. She was singing and praying, but then
stopped and noticed the shoveled pile of old, grimy
snow next to the fence at Planned Parenthood.
"I'm glad that God didn't give them nice, clean, white
snow," she said, "because what they do is like
this--not nice." She added that she really hoped God
would hear her prayers, because she wishes that "this
place would shut down and a beautiful garden would
grow here instead."
Now THAT is an inspiring prayer request!
Finally, Ed told me about two families who drove up to
the vigil in Olympia, Washington. In each car, there
was a baby in the back seat.
"The drivers thanked us profusely for being there, as
their children had been slated for abortion," he said.
"What a blessing! It is an example of the result of
prayer, presence and fasting. We will never know the
full extent of our activities. We pray that more
people may experience our joy."
Today's devotional was prepared for you by Rev. Rob
Schenck, the president of Faith and Action...
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DAY 8 INTENTION
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We pray for a renewal of our zeal to offer generous
help to the unborn and their families.
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SCRIPTURE
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If I have despised the cause of my male or female
servant when they complained against me, what then
shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how
shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb
make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the
womb?
-- Job 31:13-15
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REFLECTION by Rev. Rob Schenck, Faith and Action
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The ground is level as we stand before God.
Job lived with an awe provoking sense of God's
expectation of him, particularly regarding his
obligation to care for the weak and needy.
He knew that in God's economy everyone stands on level
ground when it comes to our status as God's creatures.
Because of that central truth, we must take care of
each other.
Job also knew that he didn't deserve any of the good
things God gave to him. Instead, those blessings came
to Job from God's benevolent heart.
As an extension of that knowledge, Job instinctively
linked his obligation to be generous to others to
God's kindness toward him.
As in Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant
(Matthew 18:23-35), Job knew that it is an egregious
sin to deny to others what we enjoy ourselves.
He actually calls down on his own head severe
condemnation and even punishment should he fail to
share with others out of his own abundance (see verses
16-23).
Proverbs 3:27 reads, "Withhold not good from them to
whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand
to do so." Some things are so obvious that we don't
even need to pray except to ask of God forgiveness and
the power to do what so obviously needs doing.
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PRAYER
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God, forgive us when we try to explain away the
obligation we have to help others who need help.
Enable us to not devalue them because they are in the
circumstance that they are in, but to see them for
what they are, those, who like us, were formed by your
hand in their mother's womb. Amen.
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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2009day08print.pdf
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As we begin the second week of this 40 Days for Life,
let's pray that God continues to pour out His rich
blessings on everyone involved!
Yours In Christ,
Shawn Carney
Spring Campaign Director
40 Days for Life