2018 Messenger May 2018 Messenger | Page 7

Moral Concerns Are We Leading By Example? I don’t go to the abortion mill and do Sidewalk Counseling and pray simply because I think it’s a good idea, or because I am a Christian and a Social Worker. I go because it’s an example that was shown to me by my mother when I was a young child. At the age of 8 I began to volunteer alongside my mom in the Pro-Life movement. I still remember going to my first Pro-Life meeting in 1974 with her at Calvin Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. I was shocked and a little fascinated by the tiny babies that were shown in the post-abortion photos. I had lots of questions. My mom did her best to explain to me. She knew quite a bit about abortion and all the “whys” that surrounded it. She had been a Social Worker too, working in the projects of Chicago before she married my father. She had seen poverty, racism, discrimination, neglect—evil in all its forms. She had witnessed the after-effects of back-alley abortions with her own eyes. She knew that only God could change lives and stop abortion, and was determined to demonstrate that both in her work and her home life. There was no abortion mill in Sheboygan, Wisconsin at that time. But Mom and I passed out flyers and the precious little “tiny feet” pins each year at church to commemorate the National Day of Prayer for Life. Mom took me along with her as she campaigned for County Board Supervisor, helping her knock on dozens of doors and hand out pamphlets explaining her political platform: Christian, Conservative, Pro-Life. We walked—literally walked—the entire district handing out those pamphlets. Mom won the seat as Supervisor. She won several years in a row. She was elected as Head of the Human Services Committee for Sheboygan County and (again) took me along to the meetings. I watched her fight for the rights of the unborn, for the poor, for the innocent. Mom was leading by example. In a time when most women were content to be housewives, Mom was elected Chairman of the Board of County Supervisors. She never, ever compromised her Christian values. At home the phone would ring, and someone would shout curses at her or threaten her. It happened so frequently that I wasn’t allowed to answer the phone anymore. Mom still wouldn’t compromise, and she still took me to meetings with her. Even when it was unpopular, she would stand at the podium and argue against spending County funds on abortion-related materials or sending it to organizations that supported abortion. She made enemies, but she lead by example. She taught me that it’s the only way to lead. prays, counsels and loves the people that go there. Even when they shout obscenities at him, curse him or laugh at him. He leads by example. He knows others are watching. A few months ago a woman walked up to Forrest at the abortion mill and hugged him. “I don’t know you,” she said, “but some of you were out here 22 years ago when I came to have an abortion. You talked to me, prayed with me and loved me. I decided not to have the abortion. And today my daughter, the baby I would have aborted, graduated from college! Thank God and thank you all for being here!” she said with tears streaming down her face. Today we do not know what the ultimate outcome of our efforts will be. Will it be people who reconsider even keeping their appointment because we are there? Will it be someone who is desperate and thinks this is her only option? Is it someone who is being brought there to have an abortion against her own will? Is it someone who feels abandoned by everyone? Is it the culmination of a lifetime of choices made without God’s love and direction? Some things we are meant to know and some we aren’t. What we do know is that following God’s will and the example of someone we respected more than anyone makes an impression. There are so many ways to be involved with the Right To Life effort, but modeling loving behavior and persistence towards a worthy goal is what makes a difference to a family in any important pursuit. Abortion isn’t a problem that can be solved by writing a check. This is an abomination that can only be solved by showing up, in person, with your children and showing them by your commitment, words, and actions just how important this issue is to you and to the God that you seek to glorify with all your actions. Respectfully submitted, Susie Williams Even now my brother Forrest still inspires, encourages and assists me in this journey by his example. He faithfully goes to the abortion mill in Savannah on Fridays and PAGE 7 MAY 2018 IPC