September 22nd, 2012
For the first time ever, I felt that it was only me and my team outside of a clinic.
I was chalking and praying while about ten to fifteen of pro-life club prayed, sang, and sidewalk counseled. I was doing my thing when an angry “deathscort” came up to me, “You can’t chalk here,” she snapped. I politely asked her if the sidewalk I was on was a public sidewalk, “Well yes, but don’t block the sidewalk,” she hissed.
“Yes ma’am,” I replied and continued chalking. They themselves had chalked a line where the sidewalk counselors were not allowed to “trespass”, so we thought that I was fine and dandy. Little did I know that trouble was brewing on the inside of this wretched clinic.
A woman came up to me, eyes blazing with anger as I chalked, “Your baby’s heart starts beating at only twenty-one days.”
“You can’t chalk here! You are defacing the sidewalk.”
“Well it’s a public sidewalk right?”
“Yes, but it is owned by the landlord here.”
“Well if it’s public, then I am going to continue to chalk here.”
“Then I’m calling the landlord and the police.”
“Alright,” I answered and continued chalking. “But I’m going to call them,” I did not look up, but I told her that it was fine if she wanted to call them. She turned around and went back inside the clinic with a huff.
I moved to a different part of the sidewalk after I asked Kristina what I should chalk. She told me that I should chalk “It’s not too late! Call 1-800-712-HELP,” right before all of my other chalk started. I just chalked, “It’s not…” before a policewoman yelled at me, “Ma’am! Ma’am!” I stood up to talk to her, “You can’t chalk here.”
“Well I don’t understand. This is a public sidewalk right?”
“It is a public sidewalk, but it is owned by the landlord.”
“The landlord owns this entire sidewalk?”
“Yes.”
“For this entire block?”
“Yes.”
“But why do they get to chalk their outline for their property? It doesn’t make sense that i can’t chalk here.” I was about to chalk when a police car pulled up. I thought that these policemen would actually know the law, but boy was I wrong! Through the car window, i heard the police talking to Kristina, “If she continues, you can be cited or arrested.” Then the police woman on her bike piped up, “For disorderly conduct, and defacing someone’s property,” the cop in the car nodded in agreement.
As I was listening, a fellow pro-lifer walked up to me, “You know, this…this isn’t worth it. You’re only going to get arrested, it’s not worth it.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Chalking sidewalks is so helpful and it helps to get messages and help numbers to the women who are walking into the clinic. I’m going to be honest, I have never had a pro-lifer say that to me. In fact, I was so shocked, that I didn’t even reply to him. Then another pro-lifer came up to me, “I think it’s best if you just comply with them. It’s just chalk, it’s not worth a citation or an arrest.” These kinds of comments happened at least two other times!
Then, next thing I know, the clinic brought out buckets, sponges, and other cleaning materials. Oh they are probably going to scrub the sidewalk themselves. I was wrong. Some of the other pro-lifers caved in and offered to scrub the sidewalk! There was some serious spiritual warfare going on here. When these pro-lifers were telling me that it was a lost cause to chalk on the sidewalk, the devil was probably working there. In fact, I felt it! What was running through my head was the verse from Matthew 16:22-23 “And Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Lord, may it be far from you; this shall not happen to you.’ And turning away, Jesus said to Peter: “Get behind me Satan; you are an obstacle to me. For you are not behaving according to what is of God, but according to what is of men.”
I said that in my head at least every time someone tried to crush my hope and courage. I went to our van because I could not take it anymore, and as I was about to cross the street, I began to think on what those pro-lifers said and realized how alone I felt on that sidewalk. The only support that I felt was from my own team! Then I felt crushed. I admit it, I did cry. Not because I was sad, but because some of my own brothers and sisters in Christ would not take a stand on my behalf. Instead, they decided to comply and break my walls down.
I was frustrated and sad for these particular pro-lifers and anyone else who is like that. I pray daily, even hourly for sidewalk counselors and other pro-life leaders and volunteers.
If they could comply with a ridiculous statement from “law enforcement,” what if they comply with other things? What if they comply with President Obama’s HHS Mandate? Weill we comply and throw our faith into the fire? My brothers and sisters in Christ, will you comply? Will you throw away your faith and morals to protect yourself from jail? My friends, complying and going against your faith and morals may not put you in jail here, but complying may put you at risk to ending up in the eternal jail downstairs.
Think about it.
