Sunday, July 17, 2011

Life Amidst Death

Planned Parenthood operates on public property. Therefore, all citizens are able to freely stand and congregate in the space. Many pro-life individuals, like me, do so on a regular basis, to bring a prayerful presence to the property. About a month ago, Planned Parenthood had a landscaper come in and replace the grass we used to gather and pray on, with bark and bushes and plants. Someone said the rose bushes have thorns. They are not big enough yet to really observe the thorns, but my newest prayer is that they will miraculously never appear!

While many fellow pro-lifers were upset and dismayed by this change of landscape, I see some symbolism of God’s sovereignty in it. Take a look at what I wrote while I was praying there yesterday:

Paul Planted, Silas Watered, but God Gives the Growth (1 Corinthians 3:6)
A Sonnet by JTG

The seeds we’ve planted through prayer have sprouted.
Bark, bushes and roses—our evidence.
Hark! God’s sovereign life-giving’s here touted,
Growth outside death’s door is God’s providence.

Change stirs all-round in my deep soul as well
God’s altered my heart as I prayed for theirs.
I must hope same power changes, fears quell
Hearts far from Love, Truth—moms, dad, volunteers.

Our prayers poured forth now are seeds for “someday”
These babes—born or not—are in our lineage.
In our spiritual heritage of faith
We’re Godparents, and our prayers build a bridge.

Paul plants, Silas waters, but Jesus grows (1 Cor. 3:6)
Lord, let bushes have no thorns on the roses.

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