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Seasons of Life

Our riders and support crew are now back in their hometowns, resting, sleeping in their own beds, and have returned to their everyday, normal lives. In their final months as Biking for Babies missionaries, they will continue to advocate and share the stories they have heard from their pregnancy resource centers. They will also continue to fundraise to support the needs of these centers.

They now reflect on what they just experienced, and they are changed. The hours of preparation have passed, as have the hundreds of miles they rode. This season is different for them; they must determine how they will live as a missionary off the ride. They are missionaries forever, but actively living the mission beyond the National Ride season takes cognizant effort.

Sometimes we hear people say pro-life people do not care about the baby once it is born and that we never care about the mother. We obviously know this is not true based on the sheer number of people who support pregnancy resource centers, help single moms, foster children, host diaper drives, and even sit on adoption waiting lists for years.

I was thinking about this assumption against pro-life believers when I realized something: the most pro-life people in my life are my in-laws. They truly emulate what it means to be pro-life and do it with love, joy and without seeking recognition. These people welcome anyone into their home – stay, eat, and talk. They are ready to give a baby gift to anyone they hear is pregnant, expressing so much excitement for the life that already exists in her mom’s belly. My mother in law has thrown countless baby showers to women, whether she is close with them or not. My in-laws even offered to raise a child when a young woman found herself pregnant and raising the baby herself was not an option. The baby miscarried, but my in-laws were so excited for that baby, to raise her as their own little gift from God. Being pro-life is in their blood and seems to be integral to their being. 

The kind of selfless giving of my in-laws is an example of how to truly continue the mission. In the beginning of Luke Chapter 10, we see how Jesus sent 72 to proclaim the Gospel. He tells them that “the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” This remains true for today. We have a lot of work to do to renew a culture of life, and accepting that vision in our everyday lives is essential to changing the world. Just as Jesus called these 72 to be missionaries, God calls each of us, in our own seasons of life, to go on mission for Him. That is, to live each day in search of an opportunity to help someone and make their day better, all for the glory of God.

So just as the Biking for Babies’ Executive Team prays for our missionaries to experience a deep conviction that we must never tire of the fight for life, we pray also for your conviction. Instead of turning away from the world or not responding to the suffering of the most vulnerable among us, let us all be missionaries of God’s love, hope, and mercy!