Despite the numerable challenges this year has produced, Georgia pro-life supporters experienced a rewarding and memorable Life Chain 2021.
For the past 33 years, Life Chains have been held across the United States and the world to conduct a public, prayerful, and peaceful witness against legalized abortion.
Held annually on the first Sunday in October, the event is based on 2 Chronicles 7, in which God promises to forgive our sins and heal our land if we humble ourselves and repent.
Following are the stories of everyday people just like you who are making a big difference when it comes to the sanctity of human life. Would you like to join them and help turn our culture back to life? We can help you. Contact Georgia Right to Life at stateoffice@grtl.org or call 770-339-6880
Inspiring Prayer Warrior
The prayer warrior that stood out most to me was a regular. She and her husband have been coming since I started the chain in this town, over 15 years ago. She likes to stand in the same spot each year, near the corner where I stand.
She often kneels while she prays for at least half the time. What amazes me is her age. She’s now in her late 80’s. This year she had just gotten out of the hospital after surviving a third heart attack. Her doctor told her to go home, stay in bed and get complete rest. She was released from the hospital on Wednesday and told the doctor she had to go pray for the babies.
If Jesus didn’t take her home, then she must be needed here to pray for the little ones. She still spent some time kneeling in prayer.
Thankfully, another regular supporter brought a chair. She is in her early 70’s and has a foot problem and a leg brace and can’t stand for long without pain but gladly gave her chair to the older woman when she heard her story.
A Decision for Life
But the most special person at the Life Chain to me personally was my son. When he was a teenager, he used to come to the event with me. He’s now 27. The week before the Life Chain he announced I was going to be a grandmother (a total shocker).
His girlfriend is 23. This is an unexpected pregnancy, but they are both thrilled about the new life they will be caring for. Although they have only dated a short while, they had been discussing marriage prior to this news, so this baby will have a married mother and father.
They have financial obstacles to overcome, but they will be addressed one day at a time. The irony is that I was going to invite them to the Life Chain, but I didn’t even know if she was pro-life or not. I asked her that the night they gave me the news, and she said, “Oh yeah, I’m very prolife! Every child is a gift from God”.
Susan
Voices of the Lost
2021 marked my first time ever participating in a Life Chain event. Upon arrival, I could hear the voices of the millions of innocent children who were denied their God-given right to life crying out to God (Gen 4:10). I heard them even though I was among participants lined alongside the sidewalk for quite a distance in the hot sun holding their signs!
The diversity of the participants was so great it reminded me of the magnificence of our Creator! After standing for over an hour, I had the opportunity to speak with several participants that were overwhelmed with joy and even made prayer requests for those that made disrespectful comments or gestures!
Lenoris
A Great Role Model
One of our committee members that stays very active with the pro-life involvement, who most likely is the oldest member of the group, recently survived Covid-19. Nevertheless, she stood proudly and bravely holding her sign with a pleasant smile for nearly an hour.
She also prepared an excellent prayer for the occasion which she offered at the beginning of the ceremony just before we took our places by the curb to hold up our signs. She is a great example for all of us to follow in her dedication and participation to stand for the Personhood of the most vulnerable among us.
And yes, she just recovered a few weeks before from the COVID virus. She is my very dear friend and pro-life hero! She told me that at least one woman who drove by came and joined them holding a sign!
Rachael
The Wings of an Eagle
I think of the young boy taking shelter from the rain underneath the wing of the eagle statue. It felt so symbolic of what we were praying, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:1-2
A woman and her son saw the event on a community calendar. They did not know signs would be provided, so they quickly made their own signs and came at the last minute.
We also watched a father of four young children park behind us. In a little while they got out of the car and used sheets of notebook paper to make hand-written pro-life signs in Spanish. He lined his children up with their signs and stood behind them holding his. It was a very moving time for me.
Wanda
Believing that Hearts Were Changed and Lives Were Saved
Approximately 100 people of all ages (including: babies, children, teenagers and even a 90+ year old senior man in his wheelchair) came to pray and stand for these precious babies who have no voice! They were there for all babies who were created by God – fearfully and wonderfully made and knit together in each and every mother’s womb! I’m so thankful that God was honored as we sought for protection of these innocent babies and for the mothers who often just do not understand!
We had people from 12 different churches and parishes represented, as well as many counties. We are believing that many hearts were touched as well as many lives will be saved as a result of those many hundreds of vehicles that passed by and saw our signs.
Gayle
It Started Out Confrontational
During the Life Chain I was approached by a young lady. She exited the vehicle in which she was traveling and did not even have shoes on. She was quite angry at the silent protest. When she approached, she began to challenge me on the issue of abortion.
I immediately began reminding myself to get to the gospel. So, I began by addressing her objection, noting that there is never a valid reason to murder a baby in the womb. I then immediately turned the conversation to the cross, noting that Jesus even died on the cross for the murderer.
At this point, she revealed that she had an abortion, but did not consider it murder but necessary to avoid having a baby she did not want. I told her that our personal judgment and assessment on these issues is irrelevant and all that matters is what God, the Righteous Judge of the Universe, has to say about it and that in His eyes it’s a horrible sin but one that Christ died for.
It Continued with God’s Forgiveness
I went on to tell her that in Christ she could find forgiveness for her sin, even the sin of abortion and that she could find hope in her grief.
At this point she stated that she was “unwanted” herself. She revealed that she was born to a single mom and that her father had been abusive to both she and her mom. I told her how terribly sorry I was for her life experiences, and then told her to never consider herself unwanted because God the Father created her in His image. He loves her and has demonstrated His love for her by sending His Son to die on the cross for her sins so that she could be forgiven and have eternal life as a child of God. I said, “that sounds pretty wanted to me.”
Ended With a Softened Heart
That really hit home for her, and you could tell the Spirit was softening her heart. I encouraged her to cry out to Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life. She told me she had to go, so I asked her if I could pray for her, and she allowed me to with tears in her eyes. She gave me a hug and then asked, “What would you say to young ladies who pass through here and think that you all are just judging them?” I replied, “I guess I would ask them to quit judging us, but to stop and have a conversation like you just did.” She smiled and walked away.
Jeff