Protesting at the Abortion Clinic

*Note, this post is fairly long, but I guarantee you won't be wasting your time by reading it.

Today I went to the Abortion clinic for the first time......

The day started off with 6am Mass (yes, it's a real sacrifice, but receiving Jesus in the Eucharist just makes everything sooo much better!), and then we left around 7ish for the clinic. It was still dark outside as we were driving, perhaps a reminder of the spiritual darkness we had to face this morning. When we arrived at 7:45, the clinic had not opened yet, but it would be open at 8; there were already 2 women there, wearing "clinic escort" shirts. It made my heart hurt thinking about what their job was: Keeping the women coming for abortion away from us so they could feel "safe" while walking to the doors where their baby's life would be taken. How ironic.

As I walked past these women, my heart ached to tell them how wrong they were, to plead with them to stop what they were doing. Most of all, I felt sorry for them. They probably believed they were genuinely helping women. I wanted to tell them "good morning" as we walked by, as a way of showing them love, but I thought of it too late. Next time you can be sure I will.

Everyone split into groups scattered around the clinic and we began to pray. The first half hour was easy. There weren't any women coming in to have an abortion. The rest of the the time was not so easy. I saw a woman get out of her car; she was with her boyfriend. I think my heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second as I watched one of our sidewalk counselors go over to her. Please, I begged in my head, please change your mind. Don't do this. I love you! The escorts immediately surrounded the women, blocking her view of our sidewalk counselor. This is wrong. This is so wrong. Persistently, our counselor kept talking to her, trying to encourage her that she didn't have to have an abortion and that we wanted to help. The woman ended up still going into the clinic. That's when I started crying.

I wasn't sobbing; I just felt my heart breaking because the thought of any woman having an abortion is heartbreaking. As we continued to pray, I heard the clinic escorts laughing about something. How can they laugh while something so horrendous is taking place right above them. But I wasn't mad at them. The whole time I was at the clinic I found it very easy to love them. Why? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. Jesus told us to love; I know that's one reason why I was trying to love them. But I really think the reason it was easier is because I read a book last January by Abby Johnson. It was called UnPlanned. I highly recommend this book to every single person. It changed my entire perspective on "the other side."

The thing is, most of the women who work at Planned Parenthood have been deceived and they truly believe they are helping women. No, I can't say they are all like that, but if you look at it that way, it makes it easier to love these workers.

Love is not an easy thing, but it is what is ultimately needed if we wish to end abortion. Shouting at these workers and women will not change hearts - it will only harden them. Scaring the women who come is not going to convince them to change their minds. Only showing love and kindness and being Jesus to everyone we meet will change hearts.

I very strongly encourage each of you to go pray at an abortion clinic - at least once in your life. This was my first time, and as hard as it was, I can tell you that I am going back -- Life is too precious for us to just sit by and do nothing.