Dallas Street Report - August 23, 2002

Dallas Street Report - August 23, 2002
By Becky Puckett and Kristene O'Dell

It has been awhile since I (Kristene) have been able to go to the mill. I found myself to be slightly timid as we drove up to the abortion mill on Meadow. I stood in what we call the "choir loft." It is the entrance that has been boarded up so that it creates a safe cove for us to counsel. They can hear us, but not see us through the gate. I laid my head against this gate and began to pray. I could hear the voices of children playing on the other side.

As I peeked through the slats of wood, I noticed five small children peeking back at me. Their childish curiosity was so innocent. All they knew is that they were standing in a parking lot, picking up shiny objects, and playing childish games. As my heart began to tremble, I laid my face back on the gate and prayed that God would rescue those children from the lies of the enemy. I was startled as I felt little hands on my toes. I opened my eyes to see tiny, four year old fingers touching my painted toenails.

I know how little girls think. She was noticing shiny orange toes. I noticed something completely different. It seemed to me that God was pricking my heart and that this little girl represented many little girls who would never get to the side of the fence that I was on again. These five children all walked out of the clinic parking lot. Most do not.

I (Becky) watched these children cross the street with a friend of their mother where they began to play under a shade tree. My heart went out to them thinking about the heart of their mother after she would take the life of her child. Some time passed and the mother of these children came out of the mill off of the premises and began to talk to some of the counselors who were there.

I saw that she was crying and I knew that she could not understand my words because she did not speak English. I did know that she would understand a loving touch and the name of Jesus. I put my arm around her as the counselor spoke to her. She began to cry more intently and put her arm around me and leaned on my shoulder. Oh how God's creation needs and will respond to His loving touch through us. Even though language seems to be such a barrier, Gods Spirit penetrates all barriers and makes His Truth known to the heart. This young woman chose life for her child today and avoided the grief that would have filled her and would have been expressed upon the rest of her children. Praise Jesus!

Weston also had a chance to speak with a young man. We noticed that he had walked out of the clinic to smoke and Becky encouraged Weston to speak to him. Weston was unsure of what to say, but simply had a willingness to be used of the Lord. We laid our hands upon my son's shoulders and prayed that God would give him the words to say.

Weston spoke very eloquently words from his heart. The man seemed to be listening. He disappeared back into the clinic. A short time later, the man and two other girls left the mill. They stopped and talked to Paul. He said that he had gone back in to talk to his friend, but she would not change her mind. The words that Weston had spoken had lit a spark in him to at least try. God is simply looking for willing hearts. He will use us if we will simply let him.

We gathered our warrior sons thinking that we were leaving the battlefield. We headed for Luby's to eat lunch. The question on all our minds was "fish or chicken?". Our small minds were not aware of the feast that awaited us. We were quickly reminded that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

We were seated on the bench waiting for the line to open. A man came in and sat down so close to Becky that you could not squeeze a dime in between them. As she turned to look at him, she was greeted with a smile that cloaked itself in innocence, but could not cover the onslaught of the enemy's lies. While I was still thinking "chicken or fish?", I left Becky feasting at the table prepared for her in the presence of her enemies.

In the length of time it takes to pick up your tray and get your receipt at the other end of the line, this man confronted Becky with submission, birth control, the "evils" of large families, middle child syndrome, the selfishness of an only child, psychology, the hopelessness of ending up in a mental institution, and the inability to predict the future. Becky very adeptly picked up her sword (and I don't mean the little sword in the Jello) and rightly divided the Word of Truth. Recognizing the voice of the enemy, she spoke to the man words of hope and deliverance through Christ. We laughed at the blatant attack that was trying to discourage us from completing the work, yet our hearts went out to the man who was so troubled. The world tells us that we will forever be held in bondage. Yet we know our redemption in Christ is complete - past, present, and future!

As we got to our table, Becky's words were, "What in the world was that? How did he know that I was the middle child? Don't the demons ever get a lunch break?"

"No," I said, "and neither do we." The arrow directed at me referring to the selfish only child, did not go unnoticed since I was the one who had left Becky to fend for herself because I had decided upon the fish.

Praise God that he has saved us for His purposes and allows us such a tremendous role in the advancing of His Kingdom!