"What was God doing before you got there?"
This question was indirectly put to me last weekend, and it really segues well from my last post. Someone was telling me a story, and he mentioned that people who serve others sometimes get the idea that they are the be-all and end-all when it comes to getting stuff done. That we have such a desire for results, for that achievement high, for validation for our hard work...we forget that its not really about us. Now, don't get me wrong. Ambition is a wonderful thing, especially in terms of serving others, fighting the good fight, building up God's Kingdom, yada-yada. But sometimes we-ok, I-get stuck in thinking that if I am not present and contributing to the start AND finishing touch of some work God puts me to, I'm not doing enough.
"If I don't go, who will?"
"If I don't finish this, it won't get finished."
These thoughts sound familiar, ambitious do-gooders?
Totally my bad...And totally conceited. Believe it or not, Jecha and company, the world, God's view of it, and the value of my work are larger than what I see. To quote a song from an epic cartoon-animated movie based on Moses' life: "Look at your life through Heaven's eyes."
God was slinging stones/swinging light-sabers and swords/beating down evil long before He assigned me to anything, and He'll be doing the same long after I'm called to other things. My contributions are a lot less significant or essential than I'd like to think. (But He still appreciates and uses my input. He's such a good Guy.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG0a9WFkgzU
To illustrate my point, I keep hearing about new developments in the pro-life cause that have nothing to do with me, but that started before I cared so much, and will continue to develop far beyond my own ability to contribute. THIS is why I love FB...because it grants access to SO MUCH information. It can really unite pro-lifers to each other. Social networking rocks:
They're really threatening to close down all Catholic hospitals if the HHS doesn't call its mandate quits. This is the heart-wrenching consequence of the government's intrusion on religious freedom. President Obama, please don't try to call this a bluff or force the Catholic Church's hand. In my humble opinion, you'll be wrong.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-george-all-catholic-hospitals-will-close-in-two-years-under-hhs-ma
A semi-related thought about abortion, but really, its about being true to yourself. Her writing style is fantastic, and I love her personality. And she defends chastity brilliantly.
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/hi-my-name-is-kristen-and-im-abstinent
This one's my favorite:
http://www.lifenews.com/2012/02/27/planned-parenthood-closes-texas-center-after-de-funding/
Barring prayer, none of these happened with any of my direct help. The USCCB going toe to toe with Washington, Kristen's conversion, and PP in Odessa closing...this is was what God was doing looooong before the links popped up on my facebook. So here's the update on War: Part III...I'm still fighting, but it is He who is still winning.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Grace to you all, and peace.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
War sucks. Oh well...
So, my plan was to write another post about the developments on the HHS mandate and all my battles for the pro-life cause. Well, life got a little hectic during all those battles, and with my sword in one hand and my light-saber in the other, typing up a blog post was not really an option. I'll put my sword down (light sabers are cooler) for the moment and update a little. Since I posted last:
*I signed a petition that ended up with the 25,000 signatures it needed, which was exciting, and it elicited a response from the White House, albeit a nasty one.
*Like I said last time, Komen quit funding Planned Parenthood, which was also exciting. They then further clarified their reasons for doing so, which was noble and even more exciting. I heard a statistic that the day they made the decision, donations to their organization increased 100%. Yay for women's health!
*The last time I posted, I asked for prayers for our pro-life group meeting about the HHS mandate. Good news. There were upward of 15 people (a remarkably well-attended meeting) there and the next day I mailed off 28 letters to the Senators of both Kansas and Missouri. Very exciting.
*I had a great conversation with a Protestant, explaining the Catholic Church's teaching on contraception. He seemed receptive, and asked me a lot of great questions I have to learn more about.
*I had another intensely great conversation with a some-kind-of-Christian/agnostic/spiritual-condition-unknown about the whole reason the HHS mandate is a problem. When we had exhausted the topic, all the other party had to say was "I don't know." He must have been thinking really hard. Encouraging.
So, lots of good stuff right? Many battles won/started with good progress. But sometimes, the casualties and injuries and setbacks really get to me:
**The "accomodation" made by the Obama Administration regarding the HHS mandate isn't much of an accomodation at all. I like the analogy made here:
(Marc Barnes, aka "badCatholic"-who I've very recently become a fan of-wrote a "letter" on his blog to Obama stating his opinion of the new accomodation.)
"To accommodate them [USCCB] you said the “insurance company — not the hospital, not the charity — will be required to reach out and offer the woman contraceptive care free of charge.
**Almost immediately after the uproar surrounding its decision to defund Planned Parenthood, the Komen Foundation reversed it. It could have been a sucker-punch of a letdown, but pro-lifers shouldn't throw Komen under the bus yet.
"[CEO Nancy Brinker]...make[s] clear that they will amend their guidelines [for funding decisions] so only 'criminal and conclusive' investigations affect their funding decisions. They will ensure that 'politics has no place in our grant process,' and they will 'continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.'" http://www.jillstanek.com/2012/02/decoding-komens-supposed-cave/
...I don't know. These two minor calls for retreat and re-group in the pro-life cause weren't super huge considering the amount of progress made in recent months, and I haven't beeen personally handed a lethal injury in my personal pro-life battles either. But the thing about battling is: it sucks. It's tough, and even if nothing negative happens, it gets discouraging, waiting for immediate victories and conquests.
I get tired of asking the gentlemen in my life to watch their language around me. I get tired of turning off the music with negative messages that my residents like to blast on the radio in the bathroom, and coming back a couple hours later to have it turned on again. I get tired of organizing college student events that are alternatives to partying and having only 6 people show, instead of the 15 who verbally committed. I get tired of the stress of making up homework after being gone for 3 days because I was on the March for Life. I get tired of the exhausting conversations I engage in about my faith with people who aren't willing to listen. I get tired of listening to others because they just need to vent, and they never ask about how I am. I get tired of being raw and open and honest with others, when the favor is not returned.
I am not writing to complain or to demand that the opportunities God grants me to love others pass me by. Throwing up the white flag is not an option. Never has been and never will be. Fighting the good fight is what I do as a Christian woman in a hurting world. But I am writing to empathize in everything that people go through when they suit up to fight for Christ. War is tough.
But I guess thats why God told Paul to tell the Ephesians to "draw your strength from the Lord and from His mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil."
-Ephesians 6:10-11
He also pointed out that I shouldn't get discouraged, because I'm not really responsible for victory, or in charge anyway.
"Therefore neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth." -1 Corinthians 3:7
So get off your high horse, Jecha, because
"There is only one Savior of this world, and you are not Him."
-my best friend
So what if every little pro-life battle I engage in doesn't reach my definition of success?
"God does not require that you succeed, only that you try."
-Blessed Mother Teresa
and
"There may be times when we're powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we stop protesting it." -Elie Weisel
The reason I know I was supposed to write this post, is that I was scrolling down my newsfeed on good ole' FB a couple minutes ago, being discouraged and grumbling and mumbling, and I saw these 3 statuses, from 3 people who are completely unrelated in my life. And I'm pretty sure none of them were explicitly related to a pro-life thought.
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Unknown, attributed to several people
"Jesus, I TRUST in you!"
"Friggin' solid brick walls. I'll break through one of 'em eventually."
Boom.
It says somewhere in Scripture that those who love God can run and not grow weary. So I'm going to keep battling, even when I'm tired. Because guess what? War does suck.
But we're on the side that wins.
Mama, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Grace to you, and peace.
April :)
*I signed a petition that ended up with the 25,000 signatures it needed, which was exciting, and it elicited a response from the White House, albeit a nasty one.
*Like I said last time, Komen quit funding Planned Parenthood, which was also exciting. They then further clarified their reasons for doing so, which was noble and even more exciting. I heard a statistic that the day they made the decision, donations to their organization increased 100%. Yay for women's health!
*The last time I posted, I asked for prayers for our pro-life group meeting about the HHS mandate. Good news. There were upward of 15 people (a remarkably well-attended meeting) there and the next day I mailed off 28 letters to the Senators of both Kansas and Missouri. Very exciting.
*I had a great conversation with a Protestant, explaining the Catholic Church's teaching on contraception. He seemed receptive, and asked me a lot of great questions I have to learn more about.
*I had another intensely great conversation with a some-kind-of-Christian/agnostic/spiritual-condition-unknown about the whole reason the HHS mandate is a problem. When we had exhausted the topic, all the other party had to say was "I don't know." He must have been thinking really hard. Encouraging.
So, lots of good stuff right? Many battles won/started with good progress. But sometimes, the casualties and injuries and setbacks really get to me:
**The "accomodation" made by the Obama Administration regarding the HHS mandate isn't much of an accomodation at all. I like the analogy made here:
(Marc Barnes, aka "badCatholic"-who I've very recently become a fan of-wrote a "letter" on his blog to Obama stating his opinion of the new accomodation.)
"To accommodate them [USCCB] you said the “insurance company — not the hospital, not the charity — will be required to reach out and offer the woman contraceptive care free of charge.
"Obama, who — precisely — is buying the insurance companies’ free-contraceptive coverage? Who but the Catholic institutions, the institutions morally opposed to providing contraception to their employees? All you’ve done is forced morally opposed institutions to pay for other institutions that will provide contraception. Yes, this is akin to forcing those morally opposed to murder to hire hitmen. Not only is it immoral, unconstitutional and arrogant, it’s also painfully unintellectual..."
**Almost immediately after the uproar surrounding its decision to defund Planned Parenthood, the Komen Foundation reversed it. It could have been a sucker-punch of a letdown, but pro-lifers shouldn't throw Komen under the bus yet.
"[CEO Nancy Brinker]...make[s] clear that they will amend their guidelines [for funding decisions] so only 'criminal and conclusive' investigations affect their funding decisions. They will ensure that 'politics has no place in our grant process,' and they will 'continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.'" http://www.jillstanek.com/2012/02/decoding-komens-supposed-cave/
...I don't know. These two minor calls for retreat and re-group in the pro-life cause weren't super huge considering the amount of progress made in recent months, and I haven't beeen personally handed a lethal injury in my personal pro-life battles either. But the thing about battling is: it sucks. It's tough, and even if nothing negative happens, it gets discouraging, waiting for immediate victories and conquests.
I get tired of asking the gentlemen in my life to watch their language around me. I get tired of turning off the music with negative messages that my residents like to blast on the radio in the bathroom, and coming back a couple hours later to have it turned on again. I get tired of organizing college student events that are alternatives to partying and having only 6 people show, instead of the 15 who verbally committed. I get tired of the stress of making up homework after being gone for 3 days because I was on the March for Life. I get tired of the exhausting conversations I engage in about my faith with people who aren't willing to listen. I get tired of listening to others because they just need to vent, and they never ask about how I am. I get tired of being raw and open and honest with others, when the favor is not returned.
I am not writing to complain or to demand that the opportunities God grants me to love others pass me by. Throwing up the white flag is not an option. Never has been and never will be. Fighting the good fight is what I do as a Christian woman in a hurting world. But I am writing to empathize in everything that people go through when they suit up to fight for Christ. War is tough.
But I guess thats why God told Paul to tell the Ephesians to "draw your strength from the Lord and from His mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil."
-Ephesians 6:10-11
He also pointed out that I shouldn't get discouraged, because I'm not really responsible for victory, or in charge anyway.
"Therefore neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth." -1 Corinthians 3:7
So get off your high horse, Jecha, because
"There is only one Savior of this world, and you are not Him."
-my best friend
So what if every little pro-life battle I engage in doesn't reach my definition of success?
"God does not require that you succeed, only that you try."
-Blessed Mother Teresa
and
"There may be times when we're powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we stop protesting it." -Elie Weisel
The reason I know I was supposed to write this post, is that I was scrolling down my newsfeed on good ole' FB a couple minutes ago, being discouraged and grumbling and mumbling, and I saw these 3 statuses, from 3 people who are completely unrelated in my life. And I'm pretty sure none of them were explicitly related to a pro-life thought.
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Unknown, attributed to several people
"Jesus, I TRUST in you!"
"Friggin' solid brick walls. I'll break through one of 'em eventually."
Boom.
It says somewhere in Scripture that those who love God can run and not grow weary. So I'm going to keep battling, even when I'm tired. Because guess what? War does suck.
But we're on the side that wins.
Mama, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Grace to you, and peace.
April :)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
This means war.
In all the uproar with the new Health and Human Service Mandate, the investigation into Planned Parenthood, and the March for Life itself, I'm declaring an April vs. Abortion war on my blog. What my next couple posts will show are the videos, articles, pictures, and experiences that have blown up my facebook wall over the last week. To start with is one of my favorites, which made my day this morning: Komen for the Cure is no longer supporting Planned Parenthood.
Present here is an article in the LA times which scathingly reports the severed ties between Komen and PP. I just want to point out what I said above. Lying to one of your donors about how you're going to use their money is perfectly professional grounds for them to remove their monetary support. Oh, never mind that PP is under federal investigation. Even if PP were providing mammograms like they said, its not a poor move to sever ties with an organization under investigation. Duh.
"Over the last five years, Planned Parenthood has provided about 4 million breast exams and referrals for 70,000 mammograms nationwide."
Referrals. Since when do organizations get funding for their secretaries making referrals? I should get extra funding. I'm an RA. Making referrals is what I do...
Ok, ok, I'll get off my soapbox for now. But you can be sure I'll be keeping it out for awhile. Coming off the largest peaceful protest in America, (M4L whoop whoop!) I'm ready to rage against this evil. If you're also in, join the rosary campaign. It starts today and goes for 18 days.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/292426467479696/.
If you're not Catholic, pro-lifers still rock, and please keep praying with us!
Bishop Jackels said it well: "pray, pray more, and pray more harder."
http://catholicdioceseofwichita.org/office-of-the-bishop/documents/doc_view/2285-bishop-jackels-response-to-hhs-mandate
Please pray for Rockhurst's Hawks for Life group. We're learning more about the HHS mandate tonight at our meeting. For those unfamiliar, that will be my next topic of conversation.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Grace to you all, and peace!
Present here is an article in the LA times which scathingly reports the severed ties between Komen and PP. I just want to point out what I said above. Lying to one of your donors about how you're going to use their money is perfectly professional grounds for them to remove their monetary support. Oh, never mind that PP is under federal investigation. Even if PP were providing mammograms like they said, its not a poor move to sever ties with an organization under investigation. Duh.
"Over the last five years, Planned Parenthood has provided about 4 million breast exams and referrals for 70,000 mammograms nationwide."
Referrals. Since when do organizations get funding for their secretaries making referrals? I should get extra funding. I'm an RA. Making referrals is what I do...
Ok, ok, I'll get off my soapbox for now. But you can be sure I'll be keeping it out for awhile. Coming off the largest peaceful protest in America, (M4L whoop whoop!) I'm ready to rage against this evil. If you're also in, join the rosary campaign. It starts today and goes for 18 days.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/292426467479696/.
If you're not Catholic, pro-lifers still rock, and please keep praying with us!
Bishop Jackels said it well: "pray, pray more, and pray more harder."
http://catholicdioceseofwichita.org/office-of-the-bishop/documents/doc_view/2285-bishop-jackels-response-to-hhs-mandate
Please pray for Rockhurst's Hawks for Life group. We're learning more about the HHS mandate tonight at our meeting. For those unfamiliar, that will be my next topic of conversation.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Grace to you all, and peace!
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