The last three days have been so difficult! This is my first week as an EMC intern and it has been one of the hardest weeks I have ever experienced doing pro-life work. I have a tiny bit of experience with sidewalk counseling (swc) outside of a local abortion clinic in Gainesville, FL located right next to the University of Florida, but the experience I have gained over the past three days has almost tripled the experience I have from swc outside Bread and Roses in Gainesville.
On Monday I held a crying 17 year old girl for four hours who was terrified, shaking, and bawling because she believes the lie that having a baby now will ruin her future of law school.
On Tuesday I was at Dr. Emily's sidewalk counseling where everyone's hearts were just hardened to any ounce of light or truth. That especially applied to the most aggressive and angry girl I have ever seen who threatened us. All I could do was weep for her because the only way she knew to deal with her pain and brokenness was to build a cinderblock wall of rage instead of allowing herself to be vulnerable.
Today I spent 2 hours talking to an abortion minded girl who after her second abortion promised herself never to have another abortion yet 4 months into her 3rd pregnancy wants to go through with another abortion.
Through all of this I have been coming home from work each night almost depressed because I love these women with my whole heart and truly desire the best for each of them that when I see them putting themselves through so much pain I can feel it too.
After talking about all of this with some other interns, the Lord reminded me that He won't give us anything that we can't handle. He keeps asking me to give Him this grief that I have for these women and every day at mass I do. But when mass is over I scoop my burdens off the altar and put it right back on my shoulders instead of taking His sweet yoke and binding all of the evil that is clinging to me to the foot of the cross and washing it with His most Precious Blood.
Please pray for us interns to constantly be reminded that this is not our burden to carry but it is the perfect opportunity to hurt with these women and unite the pain and suffering we are feeling for them to the pain and suffering Christ endured in his passion for us.
1 comment:
My wife and I will form a chain of prayers so you know have an army here in brooklyn praying for all interns you are not alone may the lord continue to bless you and give you the strength needed to continue this journey of hope.
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