A Fight to the Finish for Life...

I realize this is a very sensitive topic, so let me preface this post by saying I am not trying to strike up a debate with anyone.  These are simply my feelings.  I considered not posting this, but it's something on my heart, so this seems like a good place for me to share my thoughts.  So, please don't take my words as being condemning or judgmental.  Instead, I hope you'll hear my heart.  Thanks:)

Yesterday, 2/23/12, marked the start of the 40 Days for life Campaign.  I have always considered myself pro-life and supported the pro-life movement.  I think part of that is just from how I was raised--I remember when I was a little girl that my mother was actively involved in promoting the sanctity of life, so I was brought up with that belief.  And, as I've gotten older, that teaching from my mother has turned into an important focus in my own life.  I think it hit even closer to home when I was pregnant with L.  I saw this little BABY growing inside of me on an ultrasound screen, and I felt this LIFE growing inside of me for nine months...and then I saw her enter the world and take her first breaths on her own, and in an instant, life before her arrival didn't even make sense.  This picture hanging in our hallway describes my feelings so well: 

I understand that some people are not in the same situation I was in, but I truly can't think of anything that is a bigger blessing or a more precious gift than that of a child...yet so many in today's society treat these precious lives as if they are anything but a blessing.  It just breaks my heart to think of all of the precious lives that are never given a chance to live.  They have no voice, but I do, and I will not be silent...

I think because we are in the process of adoption, the subject of abortion has become even more pressing to me in the past few months, so I've really spent a lot of time recently praying about what God would have me do with this passion to be a voice for the unborn.  I heard about the 40 Days for Life Campaign and saw that it was beginning this week, so I felt like it would be the perfect time for me to take some sort of action upon my passionate pro-life stance, and the Lord presented me with a very exciting challenge: in honor of the 40 Days for Life Campaign, I felt compelled to commit to prayer-running 40 miles over the next 40 days.  Maybe many of you have heard of prayer-walking, and this is kind of where this concept of prayer-running was birthed from.  I'll try to explain a little bit...

Running does NOT come easily for me.  I did not grow up a runner, and even though I have trained and ran in several races, it still is a struggle for me pretty much every time my feet hit the pavement.  But there's something pretty amazing about setting out to accomplish a goal, fighting through it, and completing it.  It's been such a great example to me how we are capable of ANYthing when we seek God's help and direction!  Well, I feel like a lot of other things in our lives are struggles as well, and the fight for the unborn is truly a battle in our world right now.  It may sound kind of cheesy, but as I'm struggling to push through my run, I'm praying for the struggle our unborn are facing; I'm praying for the struggle that so many women may be facing on whether or not to choose life for their child; I'm praying for the struggle we face as organizations try to promote "choice" to our world; I'm praying for the struggle we face as our government makes decisions in regards to human life...so many battles and struggles that we are facing, and some times it just seems impossible to push through and finish this battle...but we MUST push through!  So, over the next 40 days, I'm committed to fighting this battle by spending specific time in prayer each day for all of these issues that effect the unborn--not just the babies, but also the mothers, our government and political leaders, organizations that are making immoral decisions that affect the unborn, and also for God to show ME how I can personally make a difference by being His hands and feet.  This special daily prayer time is also giving me a chance to pray for our future child and their birth mommy.  Please join me in praying that our baby's birthmommy will choose life.  Pray that God will strengthen her, encourage her, and give her peace, and that He will keep our baby safe, healthy, and strong...

I'd also love for you to join me in Prayer Running (or walking) 40 miles in the next 40 days!  Check out the Facebook Page 40 Miles of Prayer for Life and share your journey with others who are committed to being a voice for the unborn!