Sometimes things just don't go your way. Even when you are trying really hard to do
what you think is right - it doesn't always work out the way you want it to.
But don't give up. I have a hard time with change. If something is working well, why
should we fix it or change it up? Well, for me, I had to make a decision. Either I find
another way - or I just give up. After a lot of prayer, our loving Lord, helped me find
another path. It wasn't even a path very far off from where I was already headed, just
a different route. I guess it is time for me to explain the situation.
I have truly been blessed to be part of the 40 Days for Life campaigns. We have held
five campaigns in our parish courtyard. If you've read my posts during the
campaigns you know what a blessing they have been. The faithful people who have
spent so many hours praying for the unborn, praying for families, praying for people
all over the world, have touched my heart and truly blessed my life in ways they will
never know. After the fall campaign in 2016, we decided that we needed to think of
a way to get more people involved. We did not officially participate in the spring
campaign. While the 40 days spring campaign was going on worldwide, we had a
faithful group of prayer warriors that met in the courtyard after the noon Mass on
Fridays. We prayed the "Rosary for the Unborn" and some more prayers together.
We would also talk about what we wanted to do this fall. We decided that we would
pray for the unborn during the month of October. We are going to call this month of
prayer, Rosary for Life. We haven't decided the exact hours but we do plan on
having people pray everyday throughout the month of October. We are also moving
to a new location for our month of prayers.
St. Mary's Catholic Church in San Angelo, TX has graciously and enthusiastically
said, yes, and will host this month long pro-life prayer campaign. Once I heard that
we were given the okay - the plans started spinning in my brain! As we began planning,
new and really creative ideas were thought up - not from me, but from other people
who are going to help us! I am very excited and thankful that God helped me to see
that change is okay and sometimes really needed! St. Mary's Catholic Church has a
beautiful grotto where we can pray in front of. Chairs and prayer books will be
provided or you can pray your own daily devotional prayers. There is also a playground
for the children close to the grotto. We will have sidewalk chalk! The kids and some
adults (me included) really enjoyed writing pro-life messages with the chalk!
We are going to have a kick-off rally but we're not sure what night. We still have a lot
of planning to do but the great thing is - we will be praying for the unborn and their
families this fall! I will keep you posted and I hope if you live in San Angelo or the
surrounding areas that you will come and join us!
Another thing that has been weighing very heavy on my heart is not having the
Sack Lunch Ministry. I'll just go ahead and tell y'all what we tried. My daughter and I
were talking about this last week. We thought up a plan and decided to do a trial run
this past Sunday morning. She and her family picked up half of the supplies and Jim
and I picked up the other half. They came over on Sunday morning and we set up
a sack lunch making station! Our five year old granddaughter was in charge of
filling snack size bags with two cookies each. Our eleven year old granddaughter and
I fixed the hot dogs (all beef) and wrapped them up. Our daughter put everything into
the sacks (hot dog, chips, cookies, cutie oranges). Jim, our son-in-law, and our
two year old granddaughter put ice and bottled waters in the ice chest and loaded
everything up for us. My daughter, oldest granddaughter, and I headed to the down-
town area. We gave one sack lunch to a man who was selling newspapers, another
lunch to a man who was walking along the store fronts, and then we gave another
lunch to a man who was riding his bike. All three of these men had been regulars at
our Sack Lunch Ministry and we were happy to see them. The man on the bike said
that everyone from the Sack Lunch Ministry would always have a special place in
his heart and of course that touched our hearts! We went down to the park and
unloaded a wagon and put the waters and lunches inside. We walked along the side
walk and gave out some more lunches. A couple of people just wanted a bottle of
water. We loaded everything back up and gave out a couple more lunches on the way
to the Salvation Army. We donated the lunches that were left to the Salvation Army
and headed back home. We felt like it was a good trial run. I'm not sure when we
are going to do it again. We may try a different day and we thought about making
breakfast burritos next time. Oh, I forgot to tell you - the man who was walking in
the front of the store fronts - he told my daughter that he appreciated us thinking
about them. All the people were very thankful.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is that if you feel something really strong in your
heart - do it! Praying for the unborn. Being a voice for the voiceless is not an option
for me, it is truly what God has placed on my heart and my husbands also. I just had
to get out of my comfort zone - think outside of the box - take that other path - that
old saying, "Where there is a will, there is a way!" I had to decide how strong my will
was and then God helped me find a way!
Back to going out and feeding the poor where they are at. I don't know if it's the right
solution or the right path - but for right now, until we figure out something else - it's
a start.
There are days that I would like to go back and just be a devoted wife, mother,
mother-in-law, and grandmother of ten precious blessings. The good Lord knows
that my family and our family business keeps me busy enough. But for some reason
He has placed these two important missions on my heart and has let me know that
I need to do this also.
Four years ago I wrote a letter to the newspaper and they published it. That letter,
no, the reason for that letter - touched my heart and changed my life. I had to decide
that if I felt that strong about being a voice for voiceless I needed to move forward.
I prayed and Jim prayed and we took one step at time.
Four years ago I wasn't even on Facebook. I didn't have a Blog. I had a flip phone
and did not hardly text at all. I think back to the words I wrote in that letter -
The following is the last two paragraphs of the letter that was published in the
Standard Times Newspaper on July 4, 2013. -
Today I make a vow to you, the innocent babies in the womb, I will not be silent,
I will not give up. I will continue to pray that your mothers and fathers see what a gift
from God you truly are. As a pro-life Catholic I have never voted for anyone who is
pro-choice, and I never will.
Sweet tiny babies in your mother's womb, I will fight for you, I will weep for you,
I will pray for you until I draw my last breath. I am woman hear me roar-
Wendy Davis does not speak for me!
If you want to read the whole letter here is that post - this the link:
https://adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com/2014/06/good-morning-out-there-we-have-been.html
Be careful what you say - Since that letter was published, God has found a way and has
helped me keep my word to the innocent babies in the womb.
If you are sincere - God will find a way!
Here I am, Lord. I come to do your will! Amen.
Please know that you and your families are all in my prayers. I place my hand on the map
each day I look at my blog. My hand covers all the countries of where each of you are.
I lift you and your family up in prayer and I pray that somehow my simple posts, my
little short stories warm your heart and make you smile. God bless you all.
Bye for now, Sharla
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