Offering Help & Hope
“What does God want you to do?” beckoned the large volunteer’s poster in front of Christine at a Saturday prayer walk by the Latrobe abortion clinic. Being a question some may dismiss, it changed the course of her life and prompted her decision to become a sidewalk counselor, potentially saving precious lives and loving her Charlotte neighbors.
Christine is a busy lady with a full time job, but also a huge heart to serve. In March 2021 she noticed on the LifeBridge page of the website an opportunity for a prayer walk with Love Life ministries at the abortion clinic on Latrobe Drive. Since it was on a Saturday she decided to go. Simply walking in silence and praying for the sanctity of life was an amazing experience. After that, she began praying monthly with our LifeBridge team on Sundays at the waterfall, as well as participating in more prayer walks. Taking it one step further, she committed to pray for Love Life and volunteer for signing people in for the walks.
Christine describes the prayer walks at Latrobe as a worship service, including praise music bellowing out of speakers, and concluding with a time of testimony. As Christine was walking, she was mentally processing all of the posters the walkers held at different points on the circuit, messages of encouragement and hope. The last poster she saw pierced her heart with its bold words “What is God asking you to do?” She repeated the question as a prayer, asking God for guidance and direction. She wanted to do more but was fearful and skeptical of the next steps, one of them being trained as a sidewalk counselor. After each prayer walk during the summer of 2022, she simply couldn’t shake the question on that last poster.
Diane shared that her 87-year-old mother was a sidewalk counselor in her area, needing to sit and not stand due to her age. Christine decided right then that if Diane’s 87-year-old mother could do this, why couldn’t she? With boldness and courage, she decided to begin her training.
With a Monday through Friday job, this would be logistically impossible, as the counselors work on Fridays from 8-1. Undeterred, Christine was able to talk to her employer and condense her hours to Monday-Thursday. God allowed this to become a reality.
The training involved instructive videos, covering everything from how to handle profanity and insults to careful details as to where volunteers are allowed to stand. Onsite she was surrounded by experienced volunteers who could help her out of any tense situation.
Now on her own, she encountered car passengers yelling obscenities, laying down their horns, and refusing to roll down their windows. Fear was close, but she asked herself, “What am I afraid of?” God was with her, and if a mother wouldn’t take a brochure offering help and hope, she would not accept that she had failed, but had planted a seed in her offering.
Despite the many refusals, since November, Christine has encountered 84 cars and handed out seven brochures. That’s seven babies whose lives were potentially saved. Every vehicle that pulls in has a choice and Christine and the other volunteers are tirelessly loving and serving these women in desperate situations.
They are also reaching out to the dads, who often sit in their cars and wait. Even when the mom has gone inside, if the dad can be persuaded to choose life, he can go inside to convince her to choose life. Statistics show that 80% of women will change their minds if the dad says no to abortion.
Christine is amazed at Love Life ministry’s mission, the national ministry with which LifeBridge is involved. Not only do they care for and counsel women who are making a choice, but also provide post-abortion counseling. For a mother who chooses life, they can provide a mentor who will journey with them for the next two years, providing necessities, Christian counseling, and education. Their purpose extends beyond saving lives.
She shared with me a volunteer encounter with a very young Hispanic mom who was fearful of having an abortion. Because of God’s message of hope through this servant, she chose life! Language is no barrier, as interpreters are right at hand. This young mother is now being cared for and educated by her mentor. The most exciting thing in her story is that through her care, the Gospel was shared and she turned her life over to Christ!
So, what is it that God wants you to do? For Christine, it was to alter her entire work schedule to spend her Fridays sharing the love of Christ with women in crisis. Her feet are firmly planted for a purpose on the sidewalks of a busy abortion clinic. Ask yourself this question, look at the numerous opportunities StoneBridge Church offers, and be bold. Step out of your comfort zone without fear and discover YOUR unique purpose in loving your Charlotte neighbors.
