Often when thinking of this feature, I try to find what front-line advocates are doing, or articles, but I think it's good to keep in mind how to be pro-life every day. Here are my top 5 suggestions:
1. It's typical to have baby showers for the first child, but after a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc., that just isn't as common. If you know someone who is having their next child, prepare a frozen dish for them to have on hand for after baby is born. One tiny less thing they won't have to worry about!
2. If someone makes a comment that tends toward an anti-life position, instead of jumping into apologetics mode, simply put on an attitude of love, and maybe make a comment to counteract that statement.
3. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the amount of topics in apologetics. It can be helpful to make a top 5 or 10 list of the most common arguments you hear, and then read/listen to your favorite commentators on how they respond to those arguments. That way the next time you are confronted, you'll have something on mind to respond with rather than drawing a blank.
4. Spiritual adoption. You can ask for prayers for a specific person in need, or ask the Spirit to use your prayers where they are most needed.
5. Sometimes we don't have time to volunteer at care clinics or shelters. If you are pulled every other direction in life, it's ok! I try to offer my chores for different intentions. When doing laundry, I try to think of Mary doing the laundry, and pray that she accept my sacrifices for priests, or you can of course offer for the unborn.
What are your favorite ways to be pro-life in ordinary ways?
Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteOne of the ordinary ways I try to be pro-life is to be kind and patient to my children in public. Gee, I just realized that sounds horrible. I try to be kind and patient at home too, I promise, but my point is I hope that if I can approach even their struggles (think three year old fit over ice cream at half-past naptime in the last aisle of aldi) with a loving and cheerful attitude in public, it can speak to others of the dignity of children. Hopefully that made sense. ;-)
I love how you think of Mary while doing laundry-what a cool idea! I'm all about offering up the everyday random stuff. Something that I try to do in my own life to be pro-life is trying to be patient and loving with others. Super hard sometimes, especially because God likes to throw those people into our lives who drive us bonkers! A way I've recently been trying to do pro-life service is through helping an older woman with housework. Her life is pretty crazy, and the messiness of her house has not had a good effect on her marriage, so I try to look at my work as an effort to help strengthen this lady's marriage and family.
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