Still Waiting…
Have you ever noticed that the closer an important event gets, the harder it is to wait? For example, the birth of a child. When a pregnant woman is approaching her due date, the remaining days seem endless. When kids are looking forward to the end of the school year…every day seems like forever. Do you remember sitting in 9th period on the last day of school, watching the second hand of the clock on the wall…ticking ever so slowly…waiting for that bell to ring?
From today’s Gospel (Luke 12):
Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.”
Jesus is saying that He reserves the greatest blessing for those who wait...especially when the hour is getting late and the darkness has overtaken us. Doesn’t that seem like the world today? How many of us have been waiting for the day that Planned Parenthood will close? We hold these 40 Days for Life campaigns, year after year…never seeing any sign that they are weakening. How many of us have given up and given in? “It isn’t doing any good, after all. And it is hard staying up so late. I am tired and want to rest.“
Fr. Joe Freedy delivered an encouraging message at our PCUC banquet on Sunday. He reminded us that marriage and family are the thing that God cares about the most, and so it makes sense that the devil would attack it so ferociously. Beginning with the acceptance of contraception back in the 1930’s, leading to the sexual revolution of the 1960’s, to abortion in the 1970’s…to where we are now.
He also reminded us that Our Blessed Mother warned children at Fatima that “the final battle” would be over marriage and family. It seems we are in the midst of that final battle. Therefore, we can take courage that our wait is almost over. We just need to hang on a little longer. Don’t give up now! A wonderful reward is waiting for those of us who keep our lamps of faith burning…especially as it gets later and later, darker and darker.
Nikki
Read on to find out who kept their lamps burning today…
7:30-9:00 – Bill & Tracy
This makes two weeks in a row that Anthony, Bill, Jackie and I had company at our early shift! Dean, Randy, and Norman from always faithful First Evangelical Free Church of McKeesport joined us. A little later, Laura and her family arrived to hand out flowers to passersby. How charming!
At one point, the gallery next door preparing for an event, became irked by our presence. A guy purposely opened their door wide enough to bump Laura, but she’s nobody’s doormat, and pointed out to him that he’d just treated her rudely in full view of her young sons. Shameful. Tail between his legs, he retreated back inside and stopped bothering her.
Traffic at PP was moderate to slow on our shift. Only a few young ladies entered. None took literature. Maybe Jackie handed out some, I know I didn’t. Anthony led all four sets of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
Hutch kept us safe. I’ll miss him when the 40Days campaign is over. He’s a good man.
Altogether, we were a “merry party” this morning as Jane Austen would say!
Also, Stacie, the PP security guard, has her knee surgery tomorrow. She so appreciates all our prayers and is very touched by all our concern.
By the way…speaking of Hutch, he has kindly offered to continue to give us security on the sidewalk AFTER the 40 days ends, at HALF the normal cost! If anyone is interested in pledging a monthly donation year round to fund this, please let us know! He has offered to provide security for up to 5 hours per day for just $125! He truly IS a good man…as Tracy said. 🙂
9:00-11:00 – Beth & Linda
Thanks go out to the wonderful witnesses Norman, Twyla and Roseanne who came to Planned Parenthood with Linda and me.
Twyla and Roseanne said they had heard Nikki’s talk recently at First Evangelical Free Church, and decided to try coming. First timers are always welcome. We also had Dean and his friends from First Free Church for the first hour, as their church provided shuttle service. What a great idea.
Unfortunately, everyone saw a very busy day, lots of clients. Earlier, the new parking officer was spotted; his ticket is a $55 fine. That’s two days in a row he’s been on the street so park with caution.
11:00-1:00 – Sheila & Rose
There was a lot of traffic into PP. Glynn was the security guard and kept yelling at me for continuing to talk to the women after the door closed behind them. He stated that doing so is not allowed!
A warning for everyone to be ever aware of your surroundings – I was talking to someone within the crosswalk, just outside of the yellow line, when a van pulled up really quickly and almost hit me, beeping the horn loudly the whole time. I jumped onto the sidewalk and watched this man jump out. (See attached picture). I very firmly told him that he almost hit me and he had no apology, just an angry glare. He then returned with others to load “election” materials in a van. The manager who was with “angry man” engaged with me and said he would talk to his employee. I told him I took a picture of the guy and would decide whether or not to call the police. “Angry man” saw that I took a picture of him. He walked away while making a phone call. Five minutes later, a couple of police officers arrived and asked if there was an incident that involved someone pulling a gun. We said no. Then I realized – it must have been “angry man,” making a false claim. I looked down towards Little Lamb and there was “angry man” on the sidewalk. I pointed him out to the police, and sure enough, he told the police he had made the call. But he changed the story, saying instead that he saw that our guard had a gun. There’s a big difference between having a gun and pointing a gun at someone. Nobody filed any charges.
I guess we need to expect that emotions will continue to run high over the next few weeks and to arm ourselves spiritually!
1:00-3:00 – Sandy & Carol
I’ve often said that I don’t like going down to witness in front of PP, but I am compelled. Nonetheless, it is a little easier on such a beautiful weather day. The weather, of course, invited a lot more foot traffic. Thank you to the group from Saint Raphael Church who joined me and provided the much needed prayer coverage. Then Jenna and a friend stopped by to pray as well during the last 30 minutes. There were some interesting moments today, as usual. One of the most disturbing that caused me to be teary was when I approached 2 young women walking by and one of them said, “kill the babies”. When I asked her how she could say that she said it was a choice and I should mind my own business. I told her that it was my business if it involved killing another person. She repeated:” mind your own business” Then when engaged in a conversation with another young woman a second one came up to me and said I wasn’t allowed inside the yellow circle and I should move. I did correct her pointing out that the courts had ruled we could stand there when in conversation, but again she just repeated for me to move. They don’t want to hear the truth. There were a couple of “thank yous”. And I want to share 2 more positive moments. A young woman coming out of PP and assured me she hadn’t had an abortion to which I responded positively/ She said she comes for birth control. So I just said- and have you ever thought about what you would do if the birth control failed. I then offered her a flyer- telling her it’s important to be well informed- and she took it. Then when I approached an older couple the husband immediately let me know that they are pro-life, but they didn’t need the flyer. When I told him, but you may meet someone who does need it- or you could just put it in the back of your church- He said that was true and he took it graciously. So the battle continues. But we know it is the Lord’s. How blessed we are to be his earthen vessels. Sandy
3:00-5:00 – Bill & Virginia
Heavier foot traffic today, business people, school students of different grades, casually dressed individual often going back and forth carrying take out food items. Approximately 3-4 couples left PP with the suspicious brown paper bags, all refusing any hand out information. Toward the end of the shift a gentleman stopped by who was supportive of
our signs and indicated he had the same beliefs about abortion and babies, He went on to describe himself as somewhat of a poet, singer and writer. He then sang acapella a lovely song praising Our Lord and the earth, it was excellent and very uplifting. Shortly after we disassembled the signs and put away the materials.
Thank You
God Bless
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.