Walk For Life

I am again participating in the Heart to Heart pregnancy center's "Walk for Life" this coming Saturday. It is the center's major fund raiser for the year and for the last three years, I have raised money and walked. I do not like asking others for money, but this is a ministry that I strongly believe in, so that makes it a little easier. As I was thinking about what to say this morning in church, this is what I thought. It is not what I said because I am a chicken and therefore said only the basics so I could sit back down, but I am sorry I didn't say more.

During the Wyoming football game last week, they honored people and organizations that have contributed to a fund to fix up and build things for the sports programs at UW. Over $24 million was raised. $24 million that was used to build an indoor practice area for the football team and make improvements on the stadium among various other projects. Those who gave the donations were invited to walk across the field during half time and their names were displayed on the board.

That number blows my mind, and I was thinking, why? Why did those people choose to give their money for that? Did they do it so that the sports at UW would be better which in turn would make a difference in countless lives? Or was it simply because they wanted to be honored for the contribution? Or maybe they just had too much money and honestly didn't know what else to do with it. Then I though, I wish they would give the pregnancy center just a million of what they had. I can't imagine all the good that they could do with that much and UW wouldn't even really miss it! What is a million when you have 23 more? We work so hard to raise just enough money to make it by. We need a new building and we really want to have the capability to show young women their babies via ultrasound. We want to be able to that what they carry is not simply the "product of conceptus" but a living human being with a tiny beating heart. This knowledge makes a difference in the life of the woman not to mention the life of her unborn child. It made me a little mad to think that this large amount of money was being used for these useless things when it could be used for something so much more worthy!

After wrestling with these thoughts for a while, my anger resided. Because I know that God is in control and that He will work out all things for the good of those who are called according to his purpose. The pregnancy center does not need those wealthy donors to give money in order to do what God has called us to do, and He will provide exactly what we need exactly when we need it.

Know that if you do choose to give your name won't be put up on any board, nor will you receive any other kind of recognition on this earth (besides a simple and heart felt "thank you!") But also know that you will make a difference. You probably will never meet the girls or their children whose lives will be changed because of the faithful workers and volunteers who reach out to them when they come into the center. But it is my hope, and the center's goal, that you will meet them in heaven and they will thank you for the gift that made it possible for them to hear about Jesus and to turn an unwanted pregnancy into a life that is valued by God. To know that someone is in Heaven as a result of the money you gave means more than any sports staduim ever built!