First Fruits Friday - Opportunity Knocking
Our Executive Director, Amber Snipes, reflects on the Commemoration of Roe v Wade on an Abortion Day and what we can do next to further the Pro Life Movement…
I recently learned of the importance of not calling Jan. 22 an “anniversary”, as anniversaries are something we celebrate. In the case of the Roe v. Wade decision, there is nothing to celebrate. However, to commemorate means “to recall and show respect for.” In the pro-life movement, when we commemorate Roe, we recall how the decision of our highest court has tragically impacted so many families and ended the lives of millions of unborn babies due to the legalization of abortion.
This past Saturday, we commemorated Roe in many ways across the country. Many joined together in public witness by praying, rallying, and marching in protests on a local, state, and national level to bring about awareness for the pro-life cause. The goal for this public witness is to bring about unity across political and religious lines for the purpose of overturning Roe.
Anytime Christians gather for public witness to pray, and put their faith in God, our prayers are heard by our Redeemer, and our actions can be seen as a witness for life! I am certain many miracles took place on Jan. 22 because of the beauty of Christian unity!
Another way to unite as Christians and pray for an end to abortion is to witness in proximity to where the evil is occurring…at the local abortion facility.
On Jan. 22, our small but mighty team at Seneca did just that. Amidst the 30+ mothers who arrived for abortions, we had a crew of 2-3 pro-life advocates praying outside the abortion facility offering real and immediate solutions to the situations that bring mothers to an abortion facility. Like most abortion days at Seneca, Jan. 22 was a very challenging day to be an Advocate for the unborn and their mothers.
The challenges we experience on the sidewalk of the abortion facility can only be overcome by practicing the virtues of humility, patience, temperance, diligence, kindness, and love. When we are on the sidewalk, we witness some very sad situations. Some of these situations include domestic abuse, human trafficking of minors or undocumented women, women addicted to substances, family incest, as well as pregnancies from teen moms, and pregnancies from marital affairs.
We also see families arrive at the abortion facility in their minivans with children in car seats in the back waiting with their father as their mother goes inside to end the life of their sibling. The Roe decision has impacted virtually every age, every socioeconomic status, and every circumstance imaginable. We witness the weight of this every week on the sidewalk of the local abortion facility.
However, the good news is that as Christians, we believe in miracles! We know that when we unite in prayer, practice virtue, and put our full faith in Jesus Christ, HE will use our witness to change hearts and minds.
On Saturday, Jan. 22, when our country was united in prayer and Christian witness, our Seneca team on the sidewalk could feel the grace from all the prayer! Despite our small numbers and cold temperatures, our team came together in witness at a local level. We prayed for mothers to change their minds, leaving the abortion facility for good. We felt the prayers from our national March for Life as well as the prayers from our local March for Life. After nearly 3 hours of advocating, witnessing, praying, and waiting, we finally got to see the fruit of the prayers! We are so thankful for this commemoration because it brought so many Christian’s together to witness and pray for Life!!
The effects of the prayer and witness impacted the abortion business next door in a huge way on Jan. 22. Were able to work with 5 mothers who changed their minds about their abortion decision. 15% of the business that was expected next door to Seneca was taken, and the abortion industry certainly felt the impact of that loss.
Imagine if we gathered as Christian witnesses every Saturday on the frontlines of the abortion facility; Praying and waiting as mothers sat inside the abortion facility contemplating their decision to end the life of their child. Knowing the power of prayer, and how mothers can and do change their minds when they feel safe, loved, and never condemned. Imagine what an impact that would make on the business profit margin. Consistently, we have seen as little as taking 10% of the profit margin from the abortion business is enough to close the doors of the abortion facility permanently. Imagine how soon this local abortion facility would close its doors if we faithfully and humbly gathered to pray for an end to abortion every Saturday on the frontlines.
As a pro-life community in Georgia and east Alabama, we can no longer be content with the commemoration of Roe v. Wade by joining once a year in the annual March for Life. We have an opportunity in our midst to close down the local abortion facility, and even redeem it into a haven of hope! Your opportunity is knocking. The next big event for Pro-lifers in Columbus and east Alabama is coming soon! You are officially invited to put your pro-life values into action and come participate in a peaceful, prayerful, law-abiding prayer vigil everyday or every week by signing up to take a shift for 40 Days for Life. 40 Days for Life is an international prayer campaign that will be hosted across the country and locally by Seneca from March 2-April 10th. It is statistically proven that when Christian’s show up to pray outside abortion facilities mothers choose life. That’s what happened to Seneca’s founder Kelly on her 2nd abortion appointment.
What else could we do with our time that is more important than praying for an end to abortion?
~by Amber Snipes, Executive Director of Seneca
Sign up for 40 Days for Life
https://www.40daysforlife.com/en/vigil-hours-signup.aspx?l_id=482
March for Life news from Columbus
https://www.wtvm.com/2022/01/24/hundreds-gather-columbus-annual-march-life-rally/