A 40 Days for Life campaign can be very intense … but we often find there is at least one moment that lets us laugh at ourselves. My moment came last week.
If you’ve been following these messages, you know that both David Bereit — 40 Days for Life’s national director — and I are on the road a lot. We live in the same city, but with full travel schedules, we don’t see each other very often during the campaigns. Many times, we even forget where the other one is.
But this time around, we’ve taken that to whole new levels. Last week, I got off an airplane in Richmond, Virginia and sat waiting for my bag at the gate. I then noticed somebody walking off the plane I was on, and he looked really familiar. It was David Bereit!
We were on the same plane and didn’t know it! And to make things even worse, it was a very small plane. We had been in different parts of the country, flying home on the same connecting flight from Cleveland … and still didn’t know it until after we landed.
We were even e-mailing each other in the Cleveland airport — unaware that we were sitting at the same gate just yards from each other waiting on our flight. We laughed at ourselves … and you should certainly feel free to do the same!
We take our work very seriously — but we do give thanks for lighthearted moments like this one.
Here are some great reports from local 40 Days for Life campaigns …
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
Dan, a local 40 Days for Life coordinator in Milwaukee, is one of those people willing to put his entire heart and soul into standing in peaceful witness outside the abortion center. We get frequent e-mail notes from Dan — usually short and sweet, but packed with something to celebrate:
– “God showed us two saves today!”
– “Three saves today within 19 minutes of each other!”
– “News of two saves today — twins!”
He also sends pictures. It seems like there’s always something special going on at the vigil. Dan’s photos include a church group participating in a “silent solidarity” event …
… a group from the Sons of Mercy motorcycle club (yes, pro-life bike enthusiasts) …
… and a picture that Dan captioned “puppies for life.”
WALKER, MINNESOTA
The 40 Days for Life vigil is back at the county courthouse in Walker — a town with no abortion center, but with people who are eager to stand up for life.
Pastor Michael Bitz from Immanuel Lutheran Church led a group in prayer recently — teaching, singing … and even helping to inflate 40 Days for Life balloons.
He reminded vigil participants of John 14:13-14, when Christ said that whatever we ask of Him in His name, He will do.
“As we prayed silently, our balloons were released to fly into the sky above as a sweet spirit flowed among us,” said one of the volunteers. “It was a good day.”
LANSING, MICHIGAN
Many of the 40 Days for Life teams are telling of how their campaigns are energized whenever local pastors visit vigil sites. Wherever the pastors go — their churches follow.
On a rainy morning, Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing’s Catholic diocese led about 50 people in prayer at the vigil outside the local abortion center (that’s the bishop under the umbrella in the photo above).
Chris, the local coordinator in Lansing, said the bishop asked the group to pray for the women considering abortion, that they may understand that they have much better options. He also thanked them for their constant prayers and continuous vigil.
Here’s the link to today’s devotional.
