What Does a Virtuous Mother Do?

When I read my friend Stephanie Gray’s blog post, “The Greatest Love” (Nov. 18, 2019), I was struck by her behind-the-scenes look at preparing to participate in the La Ciudad de las Ideas debate which took place in Mexico in early November, reaching tens of thousands. I wanted to share the story with you.

First, I suggest watching the final few minutes of the debate (inset below). Then, read Stephanie’s post which begins below.

As you watch the debate segment and read Stephanie’s post, I encourage you to set aside for a moment the question, “How should we argue against legal abortion?” Although Stephanie is talking about a woman’s body and speaking in the context of a debate about legality, she’s not directly addressing the topic of bodily rights, per se, and her comments go deeper than legality. (For help with arguments about bodily rights and legality, see our “It’s Her Body” Series.)

Note how Stephanie’s comment in the debate appears when juxtaposed against the comments of the pro-choice panelist who speaks just prior. Stephanie cuts through the rhetoric of choice to focus the audience on the question, “What does a virtuous mother do when confronting an unintended pregnancy?” Sadly, that question is often lost or ignored. Stephanie helps recalibrate us, and her perspective might even transform the conversation. It’s worth sharing.

Without further comment from me, then, please click the video below to watch the final few minutes of the debate. (The video should begin playing at 1:55:00. If it doesn’t, move the slider to find that spot in the video or click here.)

Now that you’ve watched the video segment, read Stephanie’s post:

What would you do if, while waiting for a subway train to arrive, you noticed a seizuring man fall onto the tracks? To Wesley Autrey the answer was clear: Jump onto the tracks and help him.

And on January 2, 2007, that’s what he did. Except Autrey wasn’t just helping a man in need. He was putting himself in danger. Because as the fallen man convulsed on the tracks, the lights of an oncoming train flashed before them.

Autrey couldn’t get the man off the tracks in time. But rather than abandon him, Autrey laid on top of him, protecting the young man’s flailing body with his lanky frame. And then train cars came.…

(Keep reading the remainder of Stephanie’s blog post at the Love Unleashes Life Blog.)

More from Stephanie Gray at Love Unleashes Life

For more from Stephanie about the debate, we suggest seeing her six-minute debate highlights video and an 11-minute interview she did after the debate which gave her a chance to reflect on the debate and clarify some ideas she wasn’t able to clarify in the debate due to the format.

Thanking God for You, Grace!

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Grace (center) with JFA trainer Kaitlyn Donihue (left) and veteran JFA trainer Rebecca Hotovy. (Rebecca is now working part-time behind the scenes at JFA.)

We count it a privilege to employ some of the most gifted people in the country. We also count it a privilege to serve the one true God, who is the giver of those gifts and who sustains each of our staff members in the midst of very demanding work fraught with painful realities. When God decides to guide one of our dear trainers away from our work, we are mindful of the great gift each person is who works even a day (let alone years) with us to save women and children from abortion.

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Grace interacts with a student at Colorado State University in April 2018.

Recently JFA trainer Grace Fontenot sent a group of JFA supporters a letter about a transition she’s decided to make away from her work as a full-time trainer with JFA. Her letter includes highlights of her work, but I’d like to share a few additional reflections.

Grace has been a rock in our Wichita office, leading training events locally and traveling to California and Georgia and many of the states in between. In the three and a half years she’s worked full-time with JFA, I estimate she’s personally mentored over 100 pro-life volunteers through both “Seat Work” and “Feet Work” phases of our training program, given presentations to more than 1200, and personally created conversations with over 700 college students. I estimate Grace has spent over 500 hours in planes, airports, and in automobiles to show up to train pro-life Christians. She’s weathered days of outreach outdoors in 100+ degree heat and also in rain and snow. Yes, that’s right. That gumbo-cookin’, bright-smilin’ Cajun gal from Louisiana has created conversations with pro-choice advocates in the snow. As you can imagine, we are very sad to see Grace move on from her full-time work with JFA.

Grace excelled at the art of public speaking and mastered JFA content. She is a thoughtful, enthusiastic mentor of our students. She’s willing to try new things and embrace new ideas. She has a passion for women and for unborn children. She is serious about her faith, serious about doing quality work, and she’s humble when she realizes she’s made a mistake. She enjoys good ideas, good coffee, and good jokes. Grace laughs often, and she laughs heartily. We will miss Grace’s presence in our meetings and on our team.

We look forward to seeing what God will do in Grace’s life in the coming year, we pray for her ongoing discernment process for her professional life, and we look forward to seeing her join us for JFA events again as God allows it.

We thank God for Grace, and we thank Grace also for every early morning, late night, and difficult conversation she beautifully navigated with God’s help during her time with JFA. Thank you, Grace.

We also thank you for supporting Grace’s work by giving of your finances, by reading her updates, and by sharing encouraging words with her. JFA’s trainers, including Paul, Jon, Tammy, Jeremy, Susanna, Kaitlyn, and myself, will continue in 2020 to train Christians to actively love women in distress, unborn children, and those who disagree with us. We’ll continue to train Christians to create conversations that have the power to change hearts and save lives. We pray that as you reflect with Grace on the good work she’s done, that you’ll consider continuing to support the work God is doing through JFA. Thank you.