That's what we call it too. I don't know if John has asked, but my 3yr old has started asking "Why do we have to pray for the babies?" And other "hard" questions.
Modest Mama: It is a Kolcraft Contours. They are expensive, but we bought an end-of-year floor model from Babies R Us, so it was much discounted due to missing a few non-critical parts (the cup holder, one lap bar). Now, I haven't figured out how to fold it up since we left the store! Mostly that is okay because I only use the double stroller for walks in the neighborhood. The day of this photo was the first time I loaded the stroller in my van to take it somewhere. We couldn't figure out how to fold it, so we just drove it into the back of the van as-is!
Anna P: I have been very anxious about taking my children to "praying on the lines," but I am going on faith that it is okay. I am going on faith because of several factors, the biggest one being that I see the big families who are regulars out there and their children are absolutely beautiful, holy, cheerful, and lovely. Also, Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life (whom I respect very much) is in support of involving children, and has written about it:
http://www.gospeloflife.com/articles/children.htm
Now, I have decided not to take my children on Saturdays because those days are really a zoo, which the Protestants out preaching hellfire and brimstone on the microphones, the huge graphic signs, a ton of traffic, the most escorts on duty, lots of swear words.
When I went this week, I hadn't gone in quite a few months, so John didn't remember that we used to go all the time. When there, I was introduced to two lovely families, both Protestant homeschooling families who have decided to school four days per week, then do Community Service on Fridays. Their Friday morning project is to pray at the clinic, and their afternoon project is something else. One family had eight kids (three adopted) and the other family had 8-10 kids, I forget, and both families had children as young as toddlers. They were, as you can imagine, neatly dressed and cheerful and mild-mannered.
I pulled one mom aside early on and asked for her advice, told her my fears about doing harm to my children by bringing them here. She explained that children learn slowly, they come to understanding slowly. She thinks her six-year-old has come to full understanding of what abortion is, while the younger ones don't have full understanding, or maybe just parrot some of what they are hearing. I certainly believe that there's no harm in teaching being pro-life because it's such a natural law truth that no child is naturally going to think it is okay to kill babies. So, from my perspective, having children praying out on the lines is not the equivalent "using" of them as having children pumped full of environmental messages or something and then used in television commercials, saying how we have to save the whales.
Anyway, the mother told me that, as with all intimate information, when her children ask questions, she answers in the bare minimum of information and waits to hear if they really wanted more (and usually they do not). She has a microphone and a noise permit, but in her talking to the women (which was some of the most beautiful, tender monologue I've ever heard out at the clinics), she has chosen not to use fearful or graphic language. Sometimes the escorts start screaming and swearing, so she has adopted an "ears policy." When she tells her children to do so, they must plug their ears and hum so they are not hearing inappropriate matter. The children do sometimes see the graphic signs, and she says that the children do not seem alarmed by them, but do recognize right away that they are "broken babies." I have yet to hear from a parent out on the lines that their child is having nightmares because of praying out there and what they've seen. And yet we expose our kids to all kinds of television cartoon junk that *does* give them nightmares, and nobody thinks twice about that.
As far as answering questions, when we were driving out there, John asked me, "But WHY are we praying for babies." I answered, "Because some babies need their mamas and daddies to take better care of them." He answered in an all-understanding, "Oh! Well, what they need to do is get a job. A person gets a job and he tries harder and harder. And then he gets a better job and tries harder. And then he gets a better job! We all just need more practice." It was so precious. So, he is thinking that babies need better care in monetary terms and I told him that he had a great idea. That mother I spoke to said that when her children start probing deeper than that she answers, "You know how a mama can have a baby in her tummy? Well, those mamas have babies in their tummies and they don't want them. So we are praying that they will love their babies." But see, she still doesn't answer what exactly the mother will do until the child probes further.
When she said that her six-year-old has come to have full understanding, I thought that was very reasonable because that is so close to the classic age of reason.
Lastly, let me tell you about that one mother's daughter. She had her 11th birthday on Monday and BEGGED that to celebrate her birthday, she wanted the family to go out to pray at the clinic that day. So they did go and the daughter herself got on the microphone. And the daughter herself saved THREE BABIES that day. Now, you know you are doing something good and right as a parent when that is how your 11-year-old (normally an already selfish age) wants to spend her birthday that way. And I got to thinking about how incredible that is. How many of us end our lives being able to say we saved even one person's life? And this girl saved three all by herself in one day. Literally their very lives that hung in the balance. I am still in tears thinking about it, every time I ponder on it. Stories like that calm me and make me think, alright, this is okay.
"Praying for babies" (as the kids call it) at 40 Days for Life Charlotte.
I love the stroller! What kind is it?
ReplyDeleteThat's what we call it too. I don't know if John has asked, but my 3yr old has started asking "Why do we have to pray for the babies?" And other "hard" questions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder to get out there!!
Modest Mama: It is a Kolcraft Contours. They are expensive, but we bought an end-of-year floor model from Babies R Us, so it was much discounted due to missing a few non-critical parts (the cup holder, one lap bar). Now, I haven't figured out how to fold it up since we left the store! Mostly that is okay because I only use the double stroller for walks in the neighborhood. The day of this photo was the first time I loaded the stroller in my van to take it somewhere. We couldn't figure out how to fold it, so we just drove it into the back of the van as-is!
ReplyDeleteAnna P: I have been very anxious about taking my children to "praying on the lines," but I am going on faith that it is okay. I am going on faith because of several factors, the biggest one being that I see the big families who are regulars out there and their children are absolutely beautiful, holy, cheerful, and lovely. Also, Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life (whom I respect very much) is in support of involving children, and has written about it:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gospeloflife.com/articles/children.htm
Now, I have decided not to take my children on Saturdays because those days are really a zoo, which the Protestants out preaching hellfire and brimstone on the microphones, the huge graphic signs, a ton of traffic, the most escorts on duty, lots of swear words.
continued . . .
When I went this week, I hadn't gone in quite a few months, so John didn't remember that we used to go all the time. When there, I was introduced to two lovely families, both Protestant homeschooling families who have decided to school four days per week, then do Community Service on Fridays. Their Friday morning project is to pray at the clinic, and their afternoon project is something else. One family had eight kids (three adopted) and the other family had 8-10 kids, I forget, and both families had children as young as toddlers. They were, as you can imagine, neatly dressed and cheerful and mild-mannered.
ReplyDeleteI pulled one mom aside early on and asked for her advice, told her my fears about doing harm to my children by bringing them here. She explained that children learn slowly, they come to understanding slowly. She thinks her six-year-old has come to full understanding of what abortion is, while the younger ones don't have full understanding, or maybe just parrot some of what they are hearing. I certainly believe that there's no harm in teaching being pro-life because it's such a natural law truth that no child is naturally going to think it is okay to kill babies. So, from my perspective, having children praying out on the lines is not the equivalent "using" of them as having children pumped full of environmental messages or something and then used in television commercials, saying how we have to save the whales.
continued . . .
Anyway, the mother told me that, as with all intimate information, when her children ask questions, she answers in the bare minimum of information and waits to hear if they really wanted more (and usually they do not). She has a microphone and a noise permit, but in her talking to the women (which was some of the most beautiful, tender monologue I've ever heard out at the clinics), she has chosen not to use fearful or graphic language. Sometimes the escorts start screaming and swearing, so she has adopted an "ears policy." When she tells her children to do so, they must plug their ears and hum so they are not hearing inappropriate matter. The children do sometimes see the graphic signs, and she says that the children do not seem alarmed by them, but do recognize right away that they are "broken babies." I have yet to hear from a parent out on the lines that their child is having nightmares because of praying out there and what they've seen. And yet we expose our kids to all kinds of television cartoon junk that *does* give them nightmares, and nobody thinks twice about that.
ReplyDeleteAs far as answering questions, when we were driving out there, John asked me, "But WHY are we praying for babies." I answered, "Because some babies need their mamas and daddies to take better care of them." He answered in an all-understanding, "Oh! Well, what they need to do is get a job. A person gets a job and he tries harder and harder. And then he gets a better job and tries harder. And then he gets a better job! We all just need more practice." It was so precious. So, he is thinking that babies need better care in monetary terms and I told him that he had a great idea. That mother I spoke to said that when her children start probing deeper than that she answers, "You know how a mama can have a baby in her tummy? Well, those mamas have babies in their tummies and they don't want them. So we are praying that they will love their babies." But see, she still doesn't answer what exactly the mother will do until the child probes further.
continued . . .
When she said that her six-year-old has come to have full understanding, I thought that was very reasonable because that is so close to the classic age of reason.
ReplyDeleteLastly, let me tell you about that one mother's daughter. She had her 11th birthday on Monday and BEGGED that to celebrate her birthday, she wanted the family to go out to pray at the clinic that day. So they did go and the daughter herself got on the microphone. And the daughter herself saved THREE BABIES that day. Now, you know you are doing something good and right as a parent when that is how your 11-year-old (normally an already selfish age) wants to spend her birthday that way. And I got to thinking about how incredible that is. How many of us end our lives being able to say we saved even one person's life? And this girl saved three all by herself in one day. Literally their very lives that hung in the balance. I am still in tears thinking about it, every time I ponder on it. Stories like that calm me and make me think, alright, this is okay.