Children in Pro-Life Ministy? Is it Appropriate?

CHILDREN SHOULD BE SPARED SEEING SUCH GRAPHIC IMAGES. THEY’LL HAVE NIGHTMARES!

I grew up working in the pro-life ministry and really believe that because I formed such strong (and educated) opinions about abortion that I am more passionate about many causes that many more "Christians" should be just as concerned about, as well, but are not (they are lukewarm....Revelation 3:16). I grew up knowing the truth of abortion. Nothing was candy-coated or watered-down, yet I wasn't shown images repeatedly, either. I never once had a nightmare about it, as commonly thought when on the outside looking in. I was taught of the images as we encountered them and felt proud that we were doing something to stop the tragedy. I did not grow up to become shocked at what I saw when I "came of age". I grew up knowing the truth and even ministering, myself, to moms while I was still a young teenager. I am glad (and have absolutely not one regret) that my parents sheltered me enough in most other areas, while slowly exposing me to spiritual matters, which produced a strong, firmly grounded woman who knows what and why she believes what she believes. We are raising our children to be the same, strong, spiritually-minded, well-rounded individuals with a clear and specific Biblical worldview. Our purpose is clear. None of us who hold those signs rejoice in looking at such images; neither do we sit there and show them to our children, but we do explain why we are there...otherwise WHY would we be there telling people how great babies are anyway? What would be the point? And why at that place, instead of somewhere else? Kids are not stupid.

I BELIEVE THAT OTHER MINISTRIES ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN SIDEWALK COUNSELING...WE SHOULD SUPPORT THEM AND LET THEM DO THEIR WORK, WHICH IS NOT SO OFFENSIVE AND FILLED WITH HATE AND FEAR.

What you believe and what is fact are two different things...especially if you've never seen sidewalk counseling first-hand. Other ministries like Focus on the Family and Crisis Pregnancy Centers are wonderful...they are one "part" of this "body" of pro-life ministries (they'll be the first to tell you that, too)...we each have a role to play (like the Body of Christ).

Have you actually seen the areas of town where these abortion mills are placed? The ones in Charlotte, as well as the majority of other mills around the country, are placed in poor communities filled with many who have never heard of Focus on the Family or Crisis Pregnancy Centers. They look for help at the women’s “health care” centers they pass every day, not on websites that they’ve never heard of. We are there to meet them where they ARE, not where we arrogantly WANT THEM TO BE!

The poster of Baby Malachi, who was aborted at 21 weeks, and the large posters of babies that were saved from abortion are the reason that MANY women stop to talk and get more info on their choices. One really needs to *see* for themselves what we do, as these ignorant remarks are *really* unfounded. There is NO fear and hate from our side...that "fear and hate" you hear of is propaganda from the pro-choice arena 98% of the time. If you want to see hate and fear mongers, check out the "clinic escorts"...ask my kids! Seriously, you really can't talk about this if you haven't been there and if you haven't talked to those who chose life because of our presence there. It's really just plain ignorance based on hearsay, not on experience.

Bottom line, check out the sidewalk counseling ministry. Check out the MANY babies saved, THEN tell us (and those mothers and babies) that we shouldn't be there, doing what we're doing. THOSE moms who saved their babies (over 600 in Charlotte since October 2009) *weren't* turning to FOTF or CPC centers. They were turning to women’s health centers and we were the only voice for their children present in their time of need!

Fearful beliefs based on fiction and hearsay make you feel better about being a bystander when all hands are needed on deck. Beliefs based on eyewitness accounts, truth and reality spur the necessary action during tumultuous times.

PHOTOS OF EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT WOULD FORCE ME TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF PROCREATION BEFORE THEY'RE READY.

Do you also shelter them from seeing pregnant women, newborn babies, or even babies in general? I mean, won’t they ask where they came from?

None of my children have ever questioned me about procreation in regard to seeing fetal or embryonic images. When and if they do question these things when going through this material, which we go through every time we find out that God has sent a miracle to my womb, I would definitely want to answer those questions before those questions were inspired by someone else. I want them to ask me first; to think of these questions in regards to God's miracle of LIFE (which is *not* dirty, but a gift) instead of thinking of these things in regard to sensual clothing or images, the topic of modesty, etc. What better way to tell them of the gifts that God intended for a married couple than through the subject of the creation of life! And if a young child asks, it can either be avoided entirely or it can be explained very simply...a part from the mom and a part from the dad come together to make a new life! How special!

The funny thing is that most homeschool parents show the images of development of plants, animals and such, but we shy away from showing them the miracle of a 6 week old developing embryo because we are afraid of the subject of procreation. Please. Let me reassure you that NONE of my children have ever thought to ask me about that in regards to showing them how human life develops and is knit together by God. If it would happen in any family, it would much more likely have happened in our family, since we have had many pregnancies...13 to be exact...and we go through day-by-day photos and descriptions of the new little life and his or her development in my womb. What a perfect way to show the meaning behind Psalm 139:13, too! God doesn’t shy away from proclaiming the wonders of His creation! Why do we?

Fear of God's handiwork is not appropriate in order to avoid the subject of procreation. That subject just won’t come up in this discussion of embryonic and fetal development...and if it does, wouldn't you rather approach it from this angle than from a book or incident with a friend? I know I would. Do not let fear hold you back from showing your children, while they are still in their moldable years, about the beginnings of life!

VIOLENCE AND THE BIBLE

If knowing about the realities of abortion is so gruesome for our children, we'd better also skip reading the Biblical account of Jesus and his beatings and his horrible death on the cross. We also better leave out a good portion of the Old Testament (have you read it? It’s pretty descriptive on many occasions)...oh, and come to think of it, the New Testament has a lot of "that" too. We'd better pick the fluffy stories to tell them and hope that they can handle the truth (and believe it) later on. The fact is that Old Testament leaders read the Book of the Law to ALL the people....old, young, adults, children and nursing infants. Scripture (including all the bloody accounts of wars, etc.) is far more gruesome than these photos, yet we all generally believe, as Christians, that we should be reading this to our children, while instructing them in the ways of righteousness.

SPIRITUAL MATURITY IN CHILDREN IN MINISTRY

Think of all the missionary children whom you would eagerly send off with their families into the jungles of Africa. Would you hope that those parents would prohibit their children from their knowing about the evil deeds and customs in that land to which their parents have been called to minister? Would you rather them live there, not knowing of how to confront, expose and defeat that evil that surrounds them? If you were the ones called to the mission field, how would you handle exposing your children to such things?

See, we are all called to the mission field! We are to be salt and light. We are to minister with our families, protecting our children from losing their “saltiness” while still ministering daily under our protection and guidance. We are to be in the world and not of it. We are to be teaching our children how and why we are not of this world, how and why to spiritually combat that which is of this world, and how and why to put feet on those beliefs! That real-life ministering brings spiritual maturity not found within church pews! Live in this world while showing your children the WHAT and WHYs behind what we believe. Without that understanding (which, honestly, cannot all be fit into the teenage years, when we deem them mature enough to understand), they will leave home with a poor Biblical worldview and with very little real life application to what you have taught them all the years prior.

None of my children have had nightmares in regards to abortion...not a one. They have only shown spiritual growth and maturity beyond their years. They BEG me to go out there to minister to mothers and to save babies. They begged me to make the signs we hold. They have learned to recognize the spiritual "darkness" that we encounter by simply showing up there on Fridays and Saturdays. When they are confronted or asked why they are there, they respond with biblically-grounded answers, as well as simple facts....out of the mouths of babes.

I am proud of them. I am finding that my children, being exposed to such darkness while learning to expose that darkness to the LIGHT (while under my care and supervision), are even far more mature than some "Christians" I know. I have no hesitations and only one regret.....I should have never stopped doing this important ministry over the last 12 years.

1 Timothy 4:12 “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Your children have the SAME Holy Spirit you have! Let them be an example to other BELIEVERS in your family ministry!