Generations

This picture is of my friend Dee Dee, her mom, her grandmother, and her daughter. 4 Generations... isn't that AWESOME!!! Dee Dee and I have talked several times about how much our grandmothers mean to us, and what an instrumental part they played in our faith and in teaching us and leading us to Christ. Godly women who passed down their faith through the generations. And I look at little Kyra, and I know that she has a grandmother that is already teaching her about God, and being a Godly example.

Today as we stood in front of our local abortion clinic we saw 2, that is TWO families consisting of a mother and a grandmother helping their teenage daughter/granddaughter to the car after having an abortion. That precious life, that tiny little 4th generation never to be born. What blessings they will miss out on. One of the girls was very sick after walking out of the clinic. We are not allowed to step on their property; but I was seconds away from asking another volunteer to watch my kids so I could go to the sidewalk closest to her and ask her if she needed medical help. As a nurse I was fighting to hold myself back from going to check on her. She was doubled over, holding her stomach, and vomiting for a good 6 or 7 minutes before they finally got her in the car. No one from the clinic ever came out to check on her.

It breaks my heart for the babies, and for the mommas. Most people don't even know we have an abortion clinic in our city. Much less do they know that I have seen about 3 or 4 girls/ladies leave in the hour we volunteer one day a week. If you add that up over a full operating day, that is approximately 20 - 25 abortions each day. In one little clinic, in a not so big city. Then I think we have steriotypically defined in our minds who we think gets abortions. I have seen every race, every age - even a white haired grandma bringing in her granddaughter for an abortion. There are no boundaries like we think there are. It is not wise to think, "oh, I don't need to be concerned, it doesn't happen here, or that often, or to the people I associate with,etc." It does! And these poor women are being hurt - physically hurt in the process, and emotionally hurt eventually. The babies are being killed in horrible ways, and they should not have to endure that. At least in the end they are in Heaven where they can't be hurt anymore. (NOT that it justifies them being killed to begin with, by NO means is that what I mean).

I thank God for my granny, who meant the world to me because she taught me about Jesus, and showed me a wonderful example of His unconditional love. I thank God for my mother who gave birth to me. And I thank God for my infertility that led to the BLESSINGS of my children who mean the world to me!!!

The other thing that surprises me is that we have about 70 southern baptist churches in 1/2 of our county; not to mention the other 1/2 of our county; or the other Christian denominations... Can I venture to say that we have 100's of churches in our area - easily. Then you figure we have 2 megachurches in our area. How many "Christians" would that be??? LOTS! Too many for me to even begin to guess. This campaign is 40 Days for Life. 40 days. With time slots from 7A - 7P and about 1/2 of them are empty. 12 volunteers needed each day over 40 days (and most people that have already volunteered are coming out once a week or even every day)... that would be 480 people. We probably have that many Christian churches in our county... and we can't get enough people to cover that?!?

OK, I know I am on a rampage tonight. But I am frustrated with the lack of commitment we Christians have today. And I am including myself in this. We can't get enough Sunday School teachers, or nursery workers. Nobody wants to volunteer to stand in front of an abortion clinic where babies are being killed and pray for the mothers going in to change their minds. I have about 5 Bibles, and I rarely pick them up because it is too convenient to just read my little devotions that are emailed to me daily. The devotions are great, but that doesn't need to take the place of me reading my Bible every day! We grumble when we are asked to support a foreign child in need, or support a local childrens home or missionary; yet we somehow find a way to get Starbucks, etc.

Now... I know that there are a lot of people out there who are honestly serving God with their lives. I try to do my best to serve and honor my God whom I love; but I know I fail Him, and I know he forgives me. We all fail, and God is always waiting with open arms for us to turn to Him and recieve his forgiveness and grace. I just wish that Christians in general would take a stronger stand for what is right, and not think that we are powerless in this world. We may be powerless, but the One who lives in us is ALL-Powerful, and He can do ALL things through us - IF we let Him.

From abortion, to people with physical needs and people with spiritual needs, people in jail, our hurting neighbor down the street... the list goes on. What is God calling you to do? As Matt said in his sermon on Sunday - "some things we don't need to pray about, God has already told us to do them." God has already said to love our neighbors, to care for the orphans and widows, to welcome the least of these in His name. You don't have to pray about whether or not you should help someone in need... God has already said we should. Just ask Him to send you and be willing to go. Whether that is down the street, in church, in front of an abortion clinic, in a forein land, on the internet, etc.

I love you all, and I don't want this to sound mean spirited... but I do want it to challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and seek God's will and follow Him wherever He leads you.