Embers in the Fire
I heard two great Sunday sermons recently and both seemed to be talking about us and what we do on the sidewalk. They were about embers in the fire that burn brightly and give off light and warmth when they are part of the fire.
We are the embers of the fire of God’s love when we are on the sidewalk. We are the hands, feet, eyes and words of Jesus when we emanate His love for the moms, dads and babies and also passerby’s . But when the embers are pulled from the fire, they stop radiating heat and lose their bright orange color. They no longer give off light. They become black and cold. When put them back into the fire they burn brightly once more.
God wants us to burn brightly and bring his fire upon the world. So please come or come back to the sidewalk during 40 Days for Life and let Jesus shine through you. Sign up or just show up, stay as long or little as you want but come. Thank you for all you have done. I know it’s not easy. If it were easy HE wouldn’t need you.
HE needs you now and the moms, dads and babies need you to shine your light and warmth on them. Oh, and share the joy you will feel with a friend or family member and invite them to join you. And if you find it provides greater meaning and purpose to your lives, come back and shine again… and again.
God bless you. Tim
Mark
(From Mark) A quiet and slow morning, with a few items to note. First, I was accompanied by 3 members of my parish, Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the 3rd week in a row! I true blessing and source of I’m encouragement. With the both Michael and Mary not able to make it today, they helped me carry and set up the signs and other supplies. Second, a young woman, escorted by her Dad, or maybe Grandpa, entered at 8:00, however, PP was not taking appointments this morning, and turned them away, after giving them information on where to go. I approached them when they entered and exited, but they would not acknowledge me. We prayed for them. Finally, about 8:45, a car pulled up, and I was beginning to ask them if I could help them when I saw the American Red Cross backpack. Turns out they were there to give CPR training. The man said he does not agree with what they do, yet hopes they can save a life with the training. How does one justify that?
Susan & Elsie
(From Elsie) – Heads up to others going out to 40Days: the time has come to break out your winter coats & gloves, because it’s always colder outside the death mill than anywhere else. 😢 But this shift was made warmer by Susan’s gentle kindness to everyone passing by. She doesn’t just offer Resource Cards; she explains what they’re all about. So she gets a lot of takers & probably saves lives she’ll never know about in this world! 😊 Best news of the shift was that the mill didn’t seem to be open for business, Deo gratias. Other great news was that Laurie, Lucy, & Janet arrived on the sidewalk with roughly 20 students from Elk County’s Catholic high school!! If you live anywhere near Elk County, enroll your kids in that school immediately, because the students were MARVELLOUS!! Prayerful, positive, kind, attractive, and eager to hold signs AND to learn about sidewalk counseling. I just wish that they lived closer to Pittsburgh & could come join us MUCH more often. They would surely save MANY lives.
Marie, Patty & Seamus
(From Marie) Today was a good day. The first half we had lots of students from St. Mary’s PA. The second half , I had Patty , Keith, and Seamus. Sidewalk, for the most part, was very positive. And at the end, my friend Carol stopped to pray the rosary.
Tom & Elsie
(From Elsie) Tom & I had the company of at least five wonderful Rosary-warriors from Mary, Mother of God Parish in White Oak. It was a pleasure to see amongst them Pittsburgh’s foremost pro-lifer & one of People Concerned for the Unborn Child’s foundresses, Helen C. Staff started leaving the building during this shift.
(From Tom) Slow day today at PP, only witnessed a few non-staff people entering it leaving during the 1-3 shift. Elsie and I had some great support from Mary Mother of God, as Karen, Kathleen, Helen, and Frank and Arlene who stayed and prayed with us, and helped hand out numerous informational pamphlets. Several interesting encounters with some passers-by, mostly positive witnesses today!
Dan & Joanne
(From Dan) Quiet day as PP was empty except for a few employees. Two men stopped to tell us what a good job we were doing being there praying for the children, they both showed us a pair of rosaries they pulled out of their pockets then continued walking up Liberty Ave. Another man waiting at the red light told us we must be reading different New Testaments then drove away. Not sure what he meant by that statement.
Great seeing beautiful young prayer warriors from Catholic school in Elk Co.! We need to see more of the Pro-Life Generation. Their presence is a strong witness to observers. Thank you!