Sidewalk Counseling

My name is Cristina, and I am a sidewalk counselor outside of the abortion clinic called Reproductive Services. I am thankful to be called to the service of God’s precious women, children and men. This ministry had taught me to love, to give and to not judge.

Love is a word that sometimes is misunderstood. Love means many things, but to know what it really means, we have to start our journey in love, our journey with the love and our journey for the love. “God is Love” 1 John. Love without the other has no meaning, it has no purpose and it is worthless. Love means to desire and to look for the best for the other. It is to walk together, to support and to let the other come into your heart. It is to invite the other into your heart, into your time, into your mind, into your all. There is no place for arrogance, no place for envy or pride. There is no place for selfishness. In the sidewalk counselor ministry we love the girls. We give them our heart, even if they judge us or curse us. Love the one who is crying; love the one that is angry; and love the one who is alone or the one who comes with many friends. Love the fathers who cry or the ones who don’t know what to do. Love the fathers who are angry and are forcing their girlfriends to have an abortion. Love them all. Love the little children that are voiceless; love the ones that need love and support. Love those little ones that are inside their mother’s womb waiting for only a yes that will bring them LIFE or waiting for no that will bring them DEATH. Love that little precious ones that are there without having the opportunity to defend themselves. Love the abortionist; love the nurses that maybe don’t know how hard abortion is going to be for the woman. Love them all. Love the ministry. Love Jesus Christ in all of them.

This ministry has taught me also to give. Give not only if we have a lot, but also give all we have. Sometimes we want to give if we have to spare, or we want to give when we feel ready to do it. But what I have learned is to be willing to give. It doesn’t matter if the only thing you have to give is a smile. God works miracles when we give; it does not need to be a lot. I have been giving what I had to this ministry since I stared.

Oh God! But what did I have? I had a lot of insecurities, a lot of wounds and fears. I don’t mean to say that I don’t have it now, but it is how I was when I started going to pray and sidewalk counsel at the abortion clinic. I started doing what I knew to do – pray. Then with the help of one sidewalk counselor, I started talking to the girls. Now, after eight years working as a sidewalk counselor, I still feel I do not have a lot to give. But I give my all. God is the one that works with the little that we have. I know it well. If you only have fifteen minutes, that can be enough. If you only have your smile, do it! Give it as service to the good God, he is waiting for your YES. There are many people out there waiting for you. Give yourselve to the Lord.

In this ministry it is important to remember not to judge. Do not judge. We cannot help the other if we judge; we really don’t know the other person’s heart. We really don’t know anything about the other. We only stand out there at the abortion clinic to love and to give our hand and heart to those women in crisis. If we judge, we fail. Our mind would be too busy thinking in their life, making a story out of nothing. Then we lose the miracle and the wonderful work of discovering with them, their life, their struggles and their fears. Each woman has a story; so each woman is different. Wait for them to share with you.

Being a sidewalk counselor has changed my life and has taught me a lot. God is out there working with us, changing our hearts and converting us to be ambassadors of LOVE, LIFE and TRUTH. May God bless all sidewalk counselors around the world and make us holy and worthy to His call for his beautiful mothers, fathers and little precious ones.

- Cristina