Every day on my way home from work, I drive past a man sitting on a chair in his front yard. As he sits on his front lawn, he holds up a sign about abortion. On the side of his chair is another sign and a statue of the Virgin Mary. He is not loud, obnoxious, or rude. He sits quietly and prayerfully as vehicles and pedestrians go by, letting all who see him know that he is pro-life and that life is a gift. I’ve seen people honk angrily, flip him off, and scream vulgar and angry words at him. This does not deter him from his simple mission of letting people know that abortion is not the answer. Through all the opposition he faces and the attempts of others to make him stop what he’s doing, he does not back down. He continues on; his dedication to share the pro-life message unwavering. We might not all be called to sit outside on our front lawns and share our beliefs with everyone who passes by, but we are all called to have the same commitment, dedication, and perseverance in our pro-life beliefs.
Abortion is a topic that is practically unavoidable these days. Whether it’s in the news, on social media, or brought up in-person, we do not have to search too hard to encounter the topic. When abortion is brought up, how do we react? Do we go with the flow and agree with the opposition to avoid conflict? Do we cover up our beliefs for fear of rejection? Do we sit back and not say anything? If we are truly committed to the pro-life cause, we will speak up confidently and boldly about the right to life. We will engage in conversation and share the truth with compassion and love, even when we receive hate. If we are dedicated and committed, we will continue on, praying for all we encounter who may disagree with us.
This is what Jesus calls us to. In scripture, He tells us “…love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Being pro-life is not popular, which means we will face opposition. We will face angry words. We will face rejection. All of these obstacles do not matter when we stay focused on the truth and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who walks with us always and helps us to persevere in love and with courage.
I think we can learn a lot from the man in his front yard. He is an example of what it looks like to be fully dedicated and committed to the pro-life message. He is not discouraged by the attacks and criticisms that are thrown his way. He keeps prayer as his focus and relies on his faith to keep on doing what he does, asking God to be with him on his front lawn, no matter what he might face that day. May we all fix our eyes on Jesus, asking Him to help us be unwavering in the truth that life is a gift!
