Day 11: She needed to apologize to the Priest

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Last night was such a beautiful evening.

The weather could not have been better for our 40 Days for Life Movie Night. Our Vigil Coordinators created such a warm and welcoming evening, complete with dinner, treats, and even a s’mores station.

I chose Gimme Shelter because its message is so closely connected to the heart of Lily Pad: a young mother in crisis being given a safe place, support, and the opportunity to see that her future is not over.

Below is a quick glimpse of our time together.

One moment in the movie captured so much of what has been on my heart.

The young mother goes into the hospital chapel to apologize to the priest who had earlier offered to help her. He is praying and reading Scripture, and when he asks her to continue where he left off, she reads:

“For I know the plans I have for you...”
Jeremiah 29:11

Those words struck me differently last night.

We stand for the unborn because every life is a gift from God. But sometimes, in our determination to save the baby, it can be easy to forget that God has plans for the mother too.

There is another life before us. A woman God loves deeply. She may be frightened, struggling, or unable to imagine what her life will look like tomorrow, but God can already see beyond the moment she is in.

And perhaps that touched me so deeply because of how I had spent my afternoon.

Before movie night, I had the blessing of taking our three Lily Pad Maternity Home residents shopping for clothes and shoes they needed, followed by lunch at Peter Piper Pizza.

They were so excited and grateful, but I think I was even more grateful.

As I watched them shopping and enjoying lunch together, I kept thinking about what an incredible privilege it is that God has entrusted these young women to us. We have been invited into a chapter of their lives that matters, to walk beside them, encourage them, and watch as God continues to write their stories.

My heart was so full knowing that He has allowed us to be a small part of His plans for them.

And the truth is, we could never do this without you.

This is what the Body of Christ looks like. Prayer comes first. Always. And then those prayers move us to serve, volunteer, give, and show up.

Because you do, when a mother needs a safe home, clothing, food, encouragement, or simply someone who believes in her, we can be there.

Another part of the evening that meant so much to me was having seminarians from the Diocese of Las Cruces join us.

These young men preparing for the priesthood were watching a story in which a priest's willingness to be present to a hurting young woman becomes an important part of helping her find the support she needs. I loved knowing they were there to see how much that presence can matter.

And fittingly, it was our seminarians who closed our evening in prayer.

It was a little after 9:00 PM, and as we finished praying outside, church bells began ringing somewhere in the distance.

I still have no idea where they were coming from.

But standing there together after the evening we had just shared, I could not help but feel the gentlest reminder:

Jesus saying, “I am here.”

Today, let us pray for the mother as fervently as we pray for her child.

For her healing.
For her future.
For the people God will place in her path.
And for the plans He already sees, even when she cannot.

If God brings a particular woman to your heart today, pray for her by name.

If you were unable to join us last night, I truly recommend watching Gimme Shelter. I think you will understand why I chose it for this special night.

To everyone who prays, serves, volunteers, and gives, thank you. What a blessing it is to be the Body of Christ together and to love the mothers and babies God places in our path.

For Life. For Love. For Both.

With love and gratitude,

Jessica Sifuentes
President & CEO
Southwest Coalition, Inc.