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The 40 Days for Life Spring Campaign has come to an end. I am the campaign coordinator for 40 Days in San Angelo, Texas. I want to share a post I wrote during the first couple of weeks of the campaign. The weather was really cold and sometimes icy the first half of the campaign. On Tuesday, my husband attached tarps on two sides of one of the canopies we have out in the courtyard. That really helped to block the wind that day. He also lit two, small propane heaters and sat them in front of the open side of the canopy. We sat chairs inside and put some blankets on them. We hung up all the pro-life signs and he headed off to work. I really didn't think many people would come and pray because it was so cold that day. Well, I was wrong. People who were signed up for certain hours showed up to pray, people just dropped in to pray There is no way to describe how thankful I am for these devoted pro-life warriors! The sun came out for a little while in the afternoon, and some people sat outside of the warming area, all bundled up, and prayed. Blessings to all who came out and prayed on such a cold day!
Wednesday morning I felt energized and was ready to go! I arrived at the courtyard at 7:00am and started setting the chairs out and hanging up the pictures and posters that we take down at night. I put a clean sign-up sheet on the clip board and made sure that the daily devotional page from 40 Days was in the prayer books. One of my dearest friends stopped by to help me set up. She stayed for a while, and then told me she would be back so that I could go home.
It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining, and there were little ladybugs all over the posters and the planters. I was so happy to be outside enjoying the sunshine. I prayed and I sang the Divine Mercy Chaplet. My friend came back and sent me home. I told her that I would be back so that she could go to the noon Mass. It was such a beautiful day, I just knew that lots and lots of people would be stopping in to pray! People did come, one at a time at first, and then two or three. A young man who attends college came at his regular time. Two ladies who have been praying during the 40 Days campaigns for years came and prayed. I left for a little while during this time and when I returned, my friend was there. She and I were the only ones left, and she helped me gather some pro-life brochures together to take to St Mary's youth later on that evening. I think it was about 4:15 or so when she was leaving. She has been such a blessing to me, such a wonderful friend, always seems to know just when I need her to stop by. After she left, I sat down at the picnic table underneath the oak trees. I prayed and told God that I thought there would be more people that day. It was so peaceful sitting out there by myself, and then I heard a noise. I looked up to see two squirrels chasing each other up and down the oak tree. I smiled at their playfulness. One squirrel ran off, and the other one came close to me. I looked down at him and said, "Are you here to pray with me today?" I heard a bird singing in the tree above me, I looked up and birds were flying in and out of the trees. Something caught my eye, and I glanced over and saw that same little squirrel sitting on the fence that surrounds the courtyard. He was sitting up straight, his little paws together and his headed tilted upward, his little mouth was moving and I laughingly exclaimed, "You are praying with me!"
I thanked God for the quiet, peaceful moment. I felt like God was reminding me that I am never alone, He is always with me. So I sat there and prayed, thanking God for this quiet time I had alone with Him in the peaceful courtyard where birds sing, squirrels play, ladybugs fly and people come and pray. A few moments later people started arriving, one sat here, and one sat there, hugs and prayers, fellowship everywhere. What happened that day will forever stay in my heart, a reminder from God to be still and know that He is always with me. God is always with us, be still and quiet and listen.
I wrote several posts during the 40 Days for Life campaign. If you would like to read them, please go to www.adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com
Sharla Ynostrosa is a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her ten grandchildren keep her busy! She and her husband, Jimmy, have been married since June of 1983. Sharla converted to Catholicism in 1987. Having been adopted at birth, Sharla is a staunch pro-life advocate. In her blog, adoptedandblessed.blogspot.com she shares stories about her family life, love of her Catholic faith, and various links to websites intended to help readers learn more about adoption and other pro-life topics. Her book, “Adopted and Blessed: Words from My Heart” is full of short stories from the first couple of years of her blog. Many of these books are given away with the hope of a seed being planted. She loves to speak to the youth about pro-life issues and has had very positive results from using the, Touch of Life Fetal Model sets. Sharla and her husband live in San Angelo, Texas and are active members in their parish. This refrain is from one of her favorite hymns and is a constant prayer: Lead me, Lord, lead me, Lord, by the light of truth to seek and to find the narrow way. Be my way; be my truth; be my life, my Lord, and lead me, Lord, today.
