'They really, really don't like us quietly praying...'

By Matt C. Abbott

On Nov. 6, Shawn Carney, president of 40 Days for Life, wrote:

Reports are still coming in, but local 40 Days for Life leaders tell us that as of now, they're aware of 492 mothers in 375 locations around the world who have rejected abortion and chosen life for their babies! In many cases, all it took was the simple act of showing up to pray on the sidewalk.

Praise God.

In Chicago, veteran sidewalk counselor Warren Dorman wrote in his weekly email (slightly edited):

We received a report that abortion activist Benita U. recruits new abortion facility 'escorts' by going to the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. Seems very plausible; where better to find like-minded liberals who support the pro-abortion ideology than a secular university campus?

We continue to have strong prayer warrior representation almost every week. The 'escorts' hate that – which should hopefully motivate us to continue to show up to pray!

The following is prayer warrior Ariane's contribution for this week. Rather than parse her words, I'm presenting them verbatim. Thus, you will be able to absorb the full weight of her compassion, sadness and dedication.

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This morning an 'escort' talked to me for at least 20 minutes, probably 30. He was friendly, but smug. I realized after a long time that he was trying to delay or stop me from kneeling and praying. He asked me a lot of questions, like the Socratic method. I figured if he could try and convert me, I could try and convert him.

Interestingly, he said he was there because I was there – because I made women uncomfortable and he was there to comfort them (as they walk in to kill their kids). He agreed that it was a living child, but didn't care. 'It's the mother's choice.'

'What if you were the dad and looking forward to this child's birth?' I asked.

'Well, it's her body, her choice.'

'What if she were nine months pregnant?' I asked.

'Her choice,' he said.

'Is it a baby?' I asked.

'Yes.'

'Do you know how they perform abortions in there? Your baby's limbs would be torn off and it would be removed with medical waste in a box.'

'Yes, I know that. If it was going to be raised by a mother who didn't want it, it's better off dead.'

'What if you wanted to raise it?'

'Her body, her choice.'

I'm paraphrasing here. His answers were more thought out. It doesn't matter if his cold, callous words were covered with flowers and unicorns; they still refer to the death and dismemberment of a living child.

I also overheard Benita talking with the escorts while taking photos and videos of us praying. I got the impression they really, really don't like us quietly praying out there. I could be wrong, but I think that's why there have been more escorts lately.

Click here to see my first [on site] video. I stopped recording when not one, but two, cars pulled up with patients. In the second car was a young mother. They stayed in the car for at least five minutes. Then I noticed that she was saying goodbye to her older toddler in the car. It was so sad. She was going in to kill the toddler's sibling. I kind of lost it a bit and was crying during the filming of this video.

So incredibly sad.

© Matt C. Abbott