Every Monday morning, thirty to eighty people gather on the sidewalk outside of an abortion clinic in Maryland for peaceful prayer and protest. They are the “Monday Morning Crew,” and they pray for women who find themselves unsure about what to do after becoming pregnant.
One summer I decided to join them for an hour a week. Since some of my family and friends also went, it became a sort of social gathering as well as a time for intense prayer. By praying rosaries and holding signs, we were able to witness to our faith while hanging out together.
At first I didn’t think too deeply about what was happening behind the doors of the clinic. Then, in late August, it hit close to home. I was standing and holding signs with my brothers near the entrance to the business complex. As I watched cars drive in and out I suddenly saw a familiar face.
“NO!” I thought to myself as I dropped my sign and followed the car from a distance. I recognized the seventeen-year-old girl in the passenger seat and her boyfriend at the wheel; they went to my high school. My mind raced, “Maybe they’re just going to the dentist. . .” My hope was quickly broken when the car pulled up right in front of the abortion clinic.
I could have said something—anything—to make them turn around. There was a thirty-second window of opportunity from when they exited the car to when they entered the clinic. I could have shouted out her name. I could have said she didn’t have to do it . . . but I stayed silent. Then the clinic escorts quickly ushered the couple straight into the clinic. Just like that, my window of opportunity slammed shut.
Sometimes I still wonder if that day really happened. Maybe I had imagined it. But I didn’t. If I had imagined it, I would not have asked every person outside the clinic that day to pray for my classmates. If I had imagined it, I would not have worn my pro-life t-shirt every Monday in school the following year. If I had imagined it, I would not have given a week-long series of talks on abortion to my school’s Bible study club. If I had imagined it, I would not be thinking and praying about a religious vocation with the Sisters of Life.
The thing is, I wasn’t even supposed to be at the clinic that day. I was supposed to be babysitting. But God had other plans for me. God always has a plan, even if it isn’t my plan.
—Mary
Sometimes when we manage to respond to a difficult situation with a positive attitude, we begin to see God’s plan in it. Maybe you, a friend, or a family member is going through a difficult time. How might the Lord be asking you to love in this situation?
Have you seen God use the difficult experiences in your life for your benefit and for the benefit of others? Pray for the grace of perseverance and courage, knowing that Jesus is “with you always” (Mt 28:20).