My feet hurt. My eyes are bloodshot. I chose not to wear makeup to work today. I'm wearing the comfiest clothes I own and I'm curled up in my comfy bed.
I'm weary
I'm weary of hearing people chant at me without ceasing
I'm weary of having to be polite
I'm weary of sharing Christ's love
I'm weary
As I stood outside the senate gallery eight days ago, witnessing the mob rule the day as the legislators tried to vote, I never imagined that I'd be caught up quite so quickly in this legal/spiritual battle.
Who am I? A big nobody with no past political experience and who generally takes the path of least resistance in lesser matters. That's who I am.
But on occasion... I have opinions. They don't come often, and when they do, I am more than willing to go to bat over them. Over the past eight days I've met with close to 30 pro-life leaders in several conference calls, I've done my best to stay on top of news as well as get information out to pro-life supporters, I've been on the phone at midnight and then have been up early the next morning to get the word out to people who were asleep, but most importantly, I've tried to rally my fellow prayer warriors to go before the King.
I know this bill isn't necessarily a pro-life vs. pro-choice sort of deal. I know that as a pro-lifer, I'm arguing to make it safer for a woman to have an abortion by getting the abortion clinics up to snuff. I know I'm arguing that it's okay for a woman to have an abortion up to the 20th week of pregnancy. I know all this. But you know what? It's the next step in this pro-life battle. It will shut down all but 5 clinics in the state of Texas.
And even as we fight to pass this bit of legislation, I have to think of Ephesians 6:12-13 where it says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."
At the end of this, I will look in the mirror and ask myself, "have I done all?" I'm taking a stand for the voiceless, yet I can't ignore the ones with voices (the mothers). I know that I need to love them as Christ would, but I also don't need to lie to you and pretend that it's easy to love those who are shouting me down and mocking me. Not retaliating in kind is probably the HARDEST thing I've ever done.
And it's hard.... oh so very hard
So yes, I am weary
Galatians 6:9 (emphasis mine) says, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
And so, I'm resting up this evening in preparation for the work ahead.
I praise God for the work that He's already accomplished, anxiously awaiting what He has in store next!
I'm weary
I'm weary of hearing people chant at me without ceasing
I'm weary of having to be polite
I'm weary of sharing Christ's love
I'm weary
As I stood outside the senate gallery eight days ago, witnessing the mob rule the day as the legislators tried to vote, I never imagined that I'd be caught up quite so quickly in this legal/spiritual battle.
Who am I? A big nobody with no past political experience and who generally takes the path of least resistance in lesser matters. That's who I am.
But on occasion... I have opinions. They don't come often, and when they do, I am more than willing to go to bat over them. Over the past eight days I've met with close to 30 pro-life leaders in several conference calls, I've done my best to stay on top of news as well as get information out to pro-life supporters, I've been on the phone at midnight and then have been up early the next morning to get the word out to people who were asleep, but most importantly, I've tried to rally my fellow prayer warriors to go before the King.
I know this bill isn't necessarily a pro-life vs. pro-choice sort of deal. I know that as a pro-lifer, I'm arguing to make it safer for a woman to have an abortion by getting the abortion clinics up to snuff. I know I'm arguing that it's okay for a woman to have an abortion up to the 20th week of pregnancy. I know all this. But you know what? It's the next step in this pro-life battle. It will shut down all but 5 clinics in the state of Texas.
And even as we fight to pass this bit of legislation, I have to think of Ephesians 6:12-13 where it says, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."
At the end of this, I will look in the mirror and ask myself, "have I done all?" I'm taking a stand for the voiceless, yet I can't ignore the ones with voices (the mothers). I know that I need to love them as Christ would, but I also don't need to lie to you and pretend that it's easy to love those who are shouting me down and mocking me. Not retaliating in kind is probably the HARDEST thing I've ever done.
And it's hard.... oh so very hard
So yes, I am weary
Galatians 6:9 (emphasis mine) says, "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
And so, I'm resting up this evening in preparation for the work ahead.
I praise God for the work that He's already accomplished, anxiously awaiting what He has in store next!
This is from Tom Umstattd: Because of an appointed board position getting its $10m budget from the Texas government, the bylaws preclude me from being "political." However, I did watch your speech (or at least one of them) on the internet, #LetTexasSpeak www.LetTexasSpeak.com live feed from the rotunda.
ReplyDeleteI am so impressed with you, young lady! Our God in you were wonderful. You indeed exhibited yourself in peace and love, in the midst of war and hate, a crowd chanting "hail to Satan" and other such blasphemes, surrounding you at the mike. They seem to be more interested in chaos, death and disruption, and won't listen. The orange shirted abortionists screamed at the pro-lifers so much, that some of my 5 children and wife, who were also in the rotunda, are complaining of hearing loss today.
Your post describes well what they also are feeling right now. You are also a good writer!
Tom Umstattd