More Like a Long Walk for Love
Guest blog by Debi Vandenboom
This week is the annual March for Life, defending life in all stages--especially the dignity and protection of the millions of babies and moms at risk in crisis pregnancy. Many who are angry or frustrated with pro-life advocates really don’t understand what they do.
We’re grateful for Debi Vandenboom, Director of Dream Life pro-life ministries at Dream City Church, Member of Choices Board of Directors, and Advisor for Arizona Women of Action Life Action Team.
Debi shares her perspective here, which might surprise you.
(We hope to see you at the March for Life this Thurs, Feb 23! It will be a place of joy and love! Come visit our Arizona Women of Action table! ~ The Arizona Women of Action Team)
When someone mentions being active in the pro-life arena, most people picture working in a pregnancy resource center or standing outside an abortion clinic. Those are important activities, but they're a tiny fraction of what goes on in the pro-life community. This week, Arizona Women of Action will participate in the March for Life at the state capitol.
In Arizona, we have passed some incredible pro-life laws. For many years, Americans United for Life listed Arizona as one of the most pro-life states in the nation. While we're no longer at the top, we still have many solid pro-life laws in place. Those laws are constantly at risk. Arizona elected officials push to make taxpayer funded abortion legal through all nine months for any reason, to allow teenagers to have abortions without parents’ knowledge, and to remove all safety regulations in the abortion industry. Because of this, it is critical for us to be seen and heard at the legislature this week. But there are also many other ways every day to live out our support for life.
I have invested over 20 years in pro-life advocacy work, and about 13 years directly helping women. Throughout those years, I've had the privilege of walking with teen moms, pregnant homeless women, pregnant women living in cars, living with drug dealers, trying to flee abuse, leaving gangs, leaving prostitution. I've ministered to women who've had 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 + abortions. I've celebrated with women who had what I like to call a “redemption baby” after getting healing from past abortions. I also personally know multiple women who could never have another baby because of the damage done to their bodies during a legal abortion. I've cried with women who've had miscarriages and stillbirths. I've prayed for women desperate to conceive. I've worked with several young moms who couldn't quite overcome their battles and ended up overdosing. I've been part of multiple adoption stories from every possible angle. And I've seen many young moms succeed and thrive and raise beautiful babies. All of that work was volunteer. Most of it happened because someone I knew, knew someone else who needed help, or because someone walked into our church, or because someone crossed my path in my life as a wife and mother--and I paid attention. I was available.
One of my favorite things to do when I lead pro-life trainings and events is to share real life situations of women I know who had an unexpected pregnancy, and have others guess whether they think that woman parented, aborted, or placed their baby for adoption. They almost always guess wrong. Sometimes the ones who seem like they would truly succeed as parents choose to abort. And sometimes the ones who have everything stacked against them choose to parent, and end up thriving. Those girls and young women are all around us. They work in our favorite coffee shop. They babysit our kids. They go to school with our teenagers. They live in our neighborhood. They go to our church.
There is NO ‘one-size-fits-all' in the pro-life world. Situations are messy and people are complex. Opportunities are everywhere if we watch for them. So, let’s not just March for Life at the capitol and then end it there. Pick one new thing to make a part of your own ‘walk of life’ to help promote LIFE in Arizona.
Follow organizations like Choices-AZ, Lozier Institute, Live Action and Students for Life. Use or recommend Option Line (to find a local pregnancy resource center anywhere in the US), and abortionpillreversal.com to get help saving a pregnancy after the first abortion pill has been taken…. Speak up on life-related legislation. Volunteer at a pregnancy resource center. Join a group praying outside an abortion clinic. Donate to a non-profit that helps women. Get licensed for foster care. Buy diapers or babysit for a single mom. Give a word of encouragement to your pregnant teenage barista. Start a ministry at your church. The possibilities are endless.
Love people. Hear their hearts. Be available.
(You can follow Debi on Instagram or Facebook @debi.vandenboom and/or @dreamlife_dcc)