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Imagine the most freezing day you can remember.

That is what I remember about February 10th, 2017.  It was so cold out it hurt my face.

It was a Friday and I had 2 hours between dropping my son off at pre-school, running ALL THE ERRANDS, accomplishing some of the at home to do list and getting back to his school on time to pick him up.

I felt overwhelmed (like I often do).

I also knew that this was the time I liked to give prayerful witness outside the local Planned Parenthood.  It was on Fridays that the abortion doctor makes his rounds to their location.  It is on Fridays where around 25 women come for their abortion appointments every week.

It is also on Fridays when my friend Mary stands outside and from the sidewalk offers help to the women and couples walking into the building.  She takes the 30 seconds to 1 minute it takes for patients to walk from their car to the door to let it be known, there is a possible way to choose life.  There is a community of people that will provide financial and emotional support for the next months, and the next few years.

Help is out there that most Americans have NO IDEA about.

I wanted to get my personal errands done . . . but I also wanted to help Mary.  I wanted to also communicate the help and assistance that is offered with so much love and substance that this knowledge could truly give a woman with an abortion appointment the answer she desired more than that appointment.

Hope.

Realistic hope.

But being realistic, I know I have a responsiblity to help my family first. The bills need to get paid and whatever else was on my to do list that day seemed like I should do those chores more than stand outside a clinic for an hour.

Still, I felt called to do something.

I had an idea.  I texted Mary to make sure she was outside the local Planned Parenthood around 9:30 in the morning.  She responded yes.

I drove to the nearest drive-thru Dunkin’ Donuts.  I ordered 2 medium hot chocolates and one giant “box of joe” container of hot chocolate.  I got 12 cups and lids and I drove to the Planned Parenthood.

I pulled over, got out of the car and gave the two medium hot chocolates to Mary.  I suggested she offer some hot chocolate to the women walking into their appointments.

I mean, who in the world would want to talk outside on a day like this!??  It must be -30 out!  If you are going to offer some alternatives, offer some hot chocolate so she can think of something other than frost bite!

I brought the box of hot chocolate that could give a dozen people a cup to the group praying the Rosary quietly outside the clinic.

I commended them for being outside praying on such a cold day.  I hoped my gift would life their spirits.

I told Mary how sorry I was that I couldn’t stay.  I probably told her “how much I had to do”.

Then I left.  I drove away and started my to do list.

Then, at 11:00 am, I got a text message.

It was Mary.  She wanted to know A Baby’s Breath’s address and phone number. A Baby’s Breath is the crisis pregnancy center I volunteer with – it is located extremely close to the Planned Parenthood.

I sent her the info as quickly as possible.

I was filled with curiosity.  What was going on?????????

Eventually I spoke to Mary on the phone.  She had called to a woman entering the clinic saying:

“My friend just brought me hot chocolate.  She was here because she wants to adopt a sibling for her son.  All you have to do is keep your baby safe for 7 more months.”

That initiation inspired the woman walking into the Planned Parenthood for her abortion appointment to stop, turn around, and listen to more of what Mary had to offer.

Mary explained there was a place just a few doors away that offered free ultra sounds.

The woman agreed to go with Mary and request one.

Did that woman have some hot chocolate you might wonder . . . No.  As Mary told me, “that was long gone by then”.  But, Mary also told me,

“That hot chocolate gave me the good opening line that drew her to me “

In early October, after months of not really talking to Mary, I received another text:

The woman who turned away from abortion the day in February when you brought me hot chocolate just delivered a baby girl!”

Not only did Mary give this young mother hope on that cold day in February, Mary developed a relationship with her.  She helped her so much a long the way, that when her daughter was born, she felt compelled to share the joy with Mary.

I know the crisis pregnancy center offered the young mom to be help as well as Mary who works with another pro-life organization.  I don’t know if she took any help, other than that day.

My guess is many women walking into an abortion appointment are looking for a reason to turn around and never look back.

This baby girl and her mama are two people that make me think my guess is correct.

I love this memory, because it reminds me that every little thing we do in love, matters.

Giving an hour to pray outside a clinic matters. Lifting the spirits of those praying outside the clinics matter.

And lives are saved by those standing outside the clinics (another story here: God Hears Us: A Spiritual Adoption Miracle

Does this young mother struggle today?  I don’t know?  But I know Mary, and she probably checks in with her every once in a while and reminds her that she would love to help her.

Is God calling you to be a “Mary”?

Is God calling you to be a “hot chocolate deliverer”?

Will you seriously consider offering a prayerful witness to life?  What a wonderful act to do this Lent – you can, and don’t have to feel alone!

Take a minute now and go to The 40 Days for Life Website

Donate an hour of your time.  Pray for our country and our world.

And maybe, witness a miracle . . .

In the mood for hot chocolate now?

Amazon Prime has some!

Hot Chocolate – and Amazon Prime!

Dunkin’ Donuts Hot Chocolate

The post The Hot Chocolate Miracle appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

“Poor prenatal diagnosis”– These words are sudden, jarring and unbearable. My world came crashing down when I learned that LILY, my second daughter, bore this horrendous fate. It must be a mistake, I thought; but test after test by the best Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists in the country made it clear that Lily was extremely sick from something called congenital CMV. The damage to her little body was severe. If she did survive birth, she would likely be severally disabled, with what doctors deemed a “very poor quality of life”.

As I sat in the examination room and the initial shock subsided, I asked the doctors what they would do if they were in my situation. Without hesitation, the doctor said “I would “interrupt” the pregnancy”. My head began to spin as I tried to grasp the meaning of those words. He was telling me to end my pregnancy – to abort my child. In that moment, I fully understood the fear, desperation, and hopelessness experienced by families who are forced to make a choice between what the experts tell them and what their hearts long for.

My husband and I thanked the doctors and went home. We decided we would savor and celebrate whatever time we had with Lily. My husband read to her and kissed my belly, her older sister gave her hugs and told her she loved her. We made a conscious decision to make each day special to celebrate her life, no matter how brief.

Quite by accident, we learned of a network of parents and professionals who had experienced or worked closely with issues surrounding poor prenatal diagnosis. Volunteers from Lily’s Gift (http://www.lilysgift.org) as it came to be known, offered practical guidance and compassionate and merciful care, focusing on meeting the needs of expectant parents as they sought to honor the life of their baby no matter how frail or how brief.  This was the help we so desperately wanted and needed.  We are so very grateful to Sister Kathleen Schipani of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the ministry for giving us a place to turn.

We didn’t need encouragement on how or why to end Lily’s life. We needed to know how we could best honor and remember her. We needed help to sort through any medical decisions we might have to make. And eventually, how to grieve Lily’s death when she was stillborn at 26 weeks.  

There are some that asked why I didn’t abort Lily. I was called selfish for not “letting her go”. I, too, struggled with those unrelenting thoughts. What if she’s suffering? What if she’s scared? My mother’s words eased my fears. “Your baby only knows security, love and protection in your womb. She feels your love and you are all she has ever known.”

We live in a world of instant gratification where patience is no longer a virtue. If things are not working out, we move on and call it a day. For me and my husband, it came down to honoring Lily with her own natural death, in her and God’s time, not ours. Suffering is part of the human condition. But it is our response to suffering that gives meaning to our lives. It is the choices we make, in the midst of our pain, that truly matter.

Our story doesn’t end with the death of Lily. Through this entire ordeal, we experienced immeasurable love from family, friends, even strangers. It was through this experience that God gave us an incredible insight. Lily, in her brief life, showed us fully the loving heart of God and the goodness of His people. I am blessed to know that she touched the hearts of many and that she is in Heaven, at peace and perfect, praying for her family here on earth.

As my mother said in our sweet baby’s eulogy,

“For in our time of pain and vulnerability, a time when it would have been so easy to blame and curse God, Lily took us by the hand and led us straight to the feet of our heavenly Father.  She revealed to us that love is more powerful than death and that peace and wholeness are waiting for us the moment we decide to let go of the burdens that this life brings and enter into God’s loving embrace. Her purpose has been completed – her gift has been given.”

Lily, we understand, your Mommy and Daddy and all of us know – what is beyond all knowing: “When everything passes away – – what remains is Love”.

The above was written by Kate Chetta – Mom of 4 to Sophia,5, Julia, 2, and Dominic, 6 months, and Liliana in Heaven. Married to Gaetano, the bestest man ever for 8 years this May. Have the privilege to be a SAHM to my kids in addition to directing the Jeffersonville A Baby’s Breath. Love hiking, birding and crocheting

The following is a message from Amy

If you are facing a similar situation, please trust in God’s path. Give Him your child in faith and trust . . .and believe that His love for your child is even greater than your own.

Although Lily’s life ended so soon, there are other stories like this one: Little boy born without a brain can now speak, count, and attend school

Please contact BeNotAfraid if you live in the United States and want more information.

If you are in the Philadelphia area, contact Lily’s Gift.

For those who had a similar situation in the past . . . I am so sorry.  Our hope is to let others know that there is a support network for those who want to choose life or at least want to discuss that choice more.  We pray and hope doctors will also read this and let their patients know that these organizations exist.

May the Lord Bless you – abundantly.

Sincerely in Christ,

Amy

Rachel’s Vineyard offers weekend retreats for women who have terminated pregnancies.

The post Terminate, Interrupt or Choose Life? appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.