Hi folks, Last night when I arrived at the abortuary on 8616 Greenville Avenue in Dallas, TX I was pleasantly surprised to see

the sidewalk filled. It wasn't just filled -- most of the prayer warriors were on their knees. If they hadn't been on their knees I probably wouldn't have a noticed a woman with crutches holding a pro life sign. I assumed she'd recently had a knee surgery and decided to come and pray regardless. When the sidewalk cleared an hour later I decided to go over and thank her. "Did you recently have a surgery?" I asked. She smiled and said, "No. I'm missing a leg." She was wearing a long dress and I didn't notice that she didn't have a right leg. She told me she'd lost it in a fight with cancer 26 years earlier. In fact, the doctors had sent her home to die since there was nothing they could do for her. To compound problems she was then involved in a car wreck which landed her back in the hospital. The doctor on duty asked if she was in any kind of program for her cancer. She told him that there wasn't anything they could do for her. He told her he would get her signed up for a program -- that program was an experimental NIH trial called interleukin 2. The cancer had spread to her lungs, pancreas, and brain so the prognosis was not good. Forty eight people were given the treatment and only two survived. Amazingly, this new treatment stopped the cancer in its tracks... but it was very hard on her. Prior to this life saving treatment she'd had a hemipelvectomy which meant that the leg was removed from the pelvis down -- making a prosthetic limb very uncomfortable and difficult to use, which is why she was still using crutches to this day. I asked if this was her first time in front of an abortion clinic and she smiled again and told me she'd been in front of the clinic many times. She told me about the time a woman got out of her car to scream at her and when she finished yelling she asked the woman if she was post abortive. The woman began weeping and admitted that she'd had an abortion. They named her baby on the sidewalk and the woman asked forgiveness. Later, this post abortive mother returned to express her thanks and tell her that it was the first good night's sleep she'd had in seventeen years. Her life had been spared 26 years ago and she was certainly making good use of the remaining years. Later that night she slipped and fell to the ground... since we were all holding signs we weren't able to catch her. I thought for sure she would head home, but instead she sat in a chair and continued to hold her sign and pray. When she eventually decided to head home for the night we accompanied her to the car and and as we were walking back to the sidewalk my friend Mike said, "I was going to complain that my feet were hurting, but now I'm not."

Mike had captured the moment. I have a list of complaints and excuses for why I don't do more for God -- or grumble on those occasions when I am trying to serve God. The Bible tells us, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." It's been 40 years! I've only been an active pro lifer for a few years, but I'm weary and complaining in my mind all the time. And then I meet people who are missing limbs that find a way to make it to the sidewalk. This is the third time God has shown me that I need to stop complaining and count it all joy to be called to the sidewalk. When I was in Houston there was a man who always sat in a chair and looked extremely tired. One day it was raining and a friend of mine had forgotten to bring his coat -- this man took the coat off his back and gave it to my friend. Later I found out that he was dying of Leukemia and that he'd spent his last days praying in front of an abortion clinic. We all have our rationalizations for why we stay home when we know we're supposed to be a living sacrifice for God. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Godthis is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will ishis good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:1 The pattern of the world is to watch television, surf the web, and listen to secular music rather than to serve God. We come home from work or church tired and exhausted and tell God that when the conditions are perfect we will serve Him. Jonah would make a perfect modern day Christian. And yet no reminders are needed to have a selfish adoration every night, rather than adoring God on the spiritual battlefield. I'm guilty of the same sin... but I know where God has called His people. We're called to serve Him irrespective of our circumstances. All of us are called to spiritual battlefields (abortion mills are just one example) ... which is where all of the preparation pays off. All those months and years reading scripture verses are useless if we only memorize the scriptures and never apply them on the battlefield. I tell people it's the difference between memorizing the rules of basketball and playing basketball. God is a great coach and He wants to mold and shape us into His image. But that can only happen when we show up to the church on the sidewalk. -Steve Steven Lopez Spiritus Films cell: 832.882.3825 www.spiritusfilms.com