This year, our ministry, Love Life, is focusing on the concept of “faith-full expectation.” We know God is always working even when we don’t see it. If we live in faith-filled expectation that His Spirit is continually at work to advance His kingdom, we are more likely to live with joyful anticipation in every moment, no matter what the circumstances may be. We can boldly and confidently engage the Church in fighting what we know grieves His heart.
What does faithful expectation look like on the sidewalk of an abortion center? As I pondered that subject, I realized this is exactly what has kept me going as a sidewalk counselor for nine years! I am always in faith-full expectation of seeing God at work. The fruit is not always what I expect or even what I hope for, but it is always there. I have learned to look joyfully and expectantly to God during my hours and hours in the midst of adversity.
A recent single day in the life of a sidewalk counselor (me) illustrates the point. This past Thursday, several seemingly mundane events occurred that I think illustrate faith-full expectation.
Rejoice in the Positives, No Matter How Small
Our volunteers showed up despite a scourge of COVID among our ranks and other issues that kept our teams small. Now there were only three of us, but rather than feeling down about the fact that the sidewalk should be crawling with Christians eager to speak for the unborn, faith-full expectation led us to rejoice that there were three willing servants!
See Unexpected Opportunities to Tangentially Promote Life
An Uber driver dropping off a worker stopped for me at the driveway. She did not realize it was an abortion center. She loved the Lord and was horrified to know she had dropped someone to work there. She gladly took our information and said she would be sure that it got to someone who needed it.
Expect Divine Encounters and Believe ALL Encounters are Just That!
An older woman stopped at the side of the road and since I didn’t know who it was at first, I went up to the car. She was a duck-watcher and was looking at the ducks in the pond. I had noticed the day before that there was a Hooded Merganser duck in the pond. I told her about it. I knew of Hooded Mergansers because my daughter had always entered the Federal Duck Stamp contest, and we had researched and painted many ducks. It turns out this woman was ALSO an artist who had entered the duck stamp contest!
She was so excited. As we talked, I told her why we were there and she revealed that she was pro-choice although she claimed to know God. Since we had bonded over ducks, we now embarked on a very friendly discussion about when a human being becomes valued in the womb. She said she did not agree about aborting later-term babies. That led to a discussion of when and why God values human life. Though she had Catholic roots, she was not a religious person. Her concerns with Catholicism led to a discussion of faith not works as the basis for salvation. Discussing salvation led to a brief but clear Gospel presentation.
At the end of our discussion, the hooded Merganser duck on the pond appeared. I quickly pointed it out to her. She was ecstatic! She recognized that our God-ordained discussion had not only led to a lot of things for her to think about, but to the joy of seeing the rare duck. She gladly accepted my Gospel tract before driving away.
Don’t Let Opposition Discourage You — Even the Enemy is On God’s Radar
One of the more aggressive and angry pro-abortion people screamed and yelled at us and blew his horn to try to drown us out. We ignored him and did our job. But near the end of the day, he was standing near me, and although I normally ignore the pro-abortion crowd to avoid distraction, I turned to him and told him that I really liked his wife. I didn’t like what she did out there as a pro-abortion advocate, but I did like her sweetness. He agreed and told me that is why he fell in love with her. It began a conversation that somehow led to an in-depth and extended Gospel discussion. I was shocked that all his anger disappeared, and he was listening intently. I knew by his response that God had reached a wounded part of his soul and was already beginning seeds of healing. He said that his wife had saved him and she had been the only one on earth to recognize his potential. I gently told him that it was not his wife who could save him, and his wife was not the only one that recognized his potential. God Himself who had made this young man in His image saw his full potential. God alone had the power to save him. The young man was silent as I spoke, which in and of itself was a miracle.
Have an Optimistic Outlook on Events
A woman left giving us a thumbs up indicating she had chosen life. A baby was saved even though we didn’t get a strong confirmation. We could surmise that hopeful outcome for the following reasons: The abortionist had not yet arrived, she had been in there too long for it to have been just a checkup or a pregnancy test, and she had given me a sign that was not the usual finger of disgust with us. We were fairly certain it was a saved baby, although it was not confirmed.
God Sends Glimpses of Encouragement Often
A woman was lost and driving slowly by me. She stopped for me and asked where the business she was looking for was located. After I gave her directions, she asked what was going on here. I told her it was an abortion center. I explained why we were there and what we do. She said she fully supported what we were doing and she was so grateful that we were there. It was a great encouragement in the face of very loud and aggressive pro-abortion people opposing us that day.
Sometimes the Results are Not Immediate, but From Seeds Planted Long Ago
While we were on the sidewalk, I received a text from a woman I had counseled years ago to save her baby from abortion. She was pregnant again and in a vulnerable situation with a boyfriend who was angry and pushing for abortion. Rather than running to the abortion center, she was asking us to help her again. What a beautiful example of seeds planted and then the woman running to the Church instead of the abortion center.
Faith-full Expectation Keeps Us Going!
All of these are examples of miracles of God that I may not have recognized as miracles of God had I not been looking for them. If we were not faith-fully expectant, we could look at the day as three hours of no moms talking to us, no confirmed saves, a lot of loud and angry opposition, little help from the Church, and no important interactions ending abortion.
With faith-full expectation, I know that every moment we step on the sidewalk, we are glorifying God. Every act of obedience in speaking for those unborn children has reverberations throughout His Kingdom. It is with faith-full expectation that I go each day to the sidewalk. I know God will reveal Himself in a myriad of ways, and I cannot wait to see what He will do!
Faith-full expectation means we look for God and expect His miracles and presence everywhere – because they ARE everywhere.
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