Toronto March for LifeRecently one of my boys got something that he’s been hoping to have for a long time: a fidget spinner. While I wasn’t willing to buy one of these gadgets when they were all the rage, I could understand his excitement about finally owning one. All the more exhilarating was showing it off when we visited another family, especially when my friend commented that her son had been wanting one for a long time. As we left their house that afternoon, my son quickly handed the fidget spinner to his younger friend. “You can have it,” he said. My mother heart swelled at his generosity.
On the drive home, however, I noticed my sweet boy being strangely quiet. “What’s going on?” I inquired gently. Suddenly there were tears. “It was really hard to give it away,” he admitted. “Could I earn a new one?” It was a beautifully truthful moment which resulted in a meaningful conversation. And it made me think of the article I was asked to write for the series ‘What can I do to end the killing?’
A child recognized longing in the eyes of a small boy and, though it was difficult, chose to respond. As pro-lifers we recognize humanity in the (broken) bodies of small pre-born children and, though it may be difficult, must choose to respond as well.
If in university, join your campus pro-life club. In the community, join your local activism group. Wherever you go, spread “Choice” cards. There’s yet another option: financially support pro-life work.
Many of you have already done so. When the government denied $150,000 worth of Canada Summer Jobs funding to CCBR’s interns this past summer simply because they were pro-life, people stepped up to the plate and raised the entire amount, while our general fund was miraculously maintained the entire time. Putting their money where their mouth is, as the saying goes, is something pro-life supporters evidently do very well.
The impact of these donations is described in CCBR’s recent newsletter: These funds didn’t only allow 30 interns to make a difference all summer long; it also allowed them to return to their communities as committed, compassionate, and capable pro-life advocates. In other words, the ripple effect is only beginning. That’s what financial support does.
I realize it doesn’t always feel that way. After a presentation sometime ago, a woman explained that she wishes she could do more to truly make a difference. The truth is that if it weren’t for faithful supporters like her, activists couldn’t do full-time pro-life work, the truth truck wouldn’t be driving, pamphlets wouldn’t be printed, and signs wouldn’t be shown. In short, less minds would be changed and less lives would be saved. That, too, is what financial support does.
This became crystal clear to me when a pro-life speaker challenged me in this way: “If you were to put the things that are important to you in one hand, and the lives of pre-born children in the other hand, how many of these things would you be willing to give up in order to save these lives?”
When we ask, ‘What can I do to end the killing?’, giving of our time and talent aren’t the only options. Giving away our treasure is equally important. In fact, CCBR wouldn’t exist without those who financially partner with us to make the work possible.
There are different ways to do so:
1) One-time giving can be easily done via our secure online donation page: we welcome a gift of any amount!
2) Monthly giving is especially helpful: you make a commitment to the lives of pre-born children and we accordingly plan to reach more more Canadians on your behalf. To sign up, please visit our online donation page for a monthly credit card payment or contact us regarding pre-authorized debit.
3) Business giving can be done by companies that would like to sponsor CCBR through advertising. Contact Nick Rosendal at nrosendal@endthekilling.ca for more information.
4) Legacy planning is for those who would like to include CCBR in their will to make a difference well into the future. For more information, please contact us.
5) Points sharing is a practical way to help cover our speakers’ expenses when they travel to reach people with the truth about abortion. To gift your points (such as Airmiles, Aeroplan, or Aventura) to CCBR, please contact us.
Each option is a practical way to help end the killing. Obviously, in comparison to the sacrifices others make, giving away a fidget spinner is somewhat insignificant. Yet, perhaps that spontaneous, sharing gesture mirrors what someone said awhile ago: “If I ask myself what matters more–my things or my neighbors?–then giving becomes so much easier.” For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.
This is especially true when we think of the littlest of our neighbors: things can never replace the precious human beings destroyed by abortion instruments. But that’s also why it’s such a privilege to have the means to make a difference. To those of you who already give, thank you! To others, we hope you’ll soon join. We can’t do it without you, and the joy brought by the knowledge that we were used to save another little life is immeasurable.
