Overlooked

By Kurt Ramspott

Life, as a guy knows it, is quite hectic. From the demands put upon us by our peers at work to the requirements we heap upon ourselves to outperform our fathers and show them “we can do it,” life as we know it is more than busy. As a result of this endless pursuit to fulfill a concoction of American dreams and personal conquests, men have overlooked something very vital. The life we lead is undoubtedly making us more selfish and, as a result, anything that gets in the way of fulfilling our dreams is seen as an obstacle that must be overcome; particularly if that obstacle comes in the form of an unplanned pregnancy.

It’s hard to fathom that a majority of men today are selfish. We put food on the table, pay the bills and provide a home for our families to feel secure in. Yet, while we are in hot pursuit of making a better life for ourselves and our loved ones, we overlook the unarguable truth that we, more than any other force of nature, are the greatest single influence as to whether a child will live or die when an unplanned pregnancy is discovered.
As evidenced by 72 of 100 pregnancy centers questioned in a Guys For Life survey conducted in November 2006; men are the greatest source of pressure on women in their decision to give birth or choose to abort in an unplanned pregnancy. Victoria Ferrell, Executive Director of the Pregnancy Resource Center of Central Kentucky writes, “It is easy for men to be pro-choice because they won’t have to be responsible. It is easy for men to have no opinion for it removes responsibility.” Deep down, many guys’ pursuit of the American dream, and then some, is making them pro-choice by default. In the end, many men are overlooking the reality of their child’s life being on the line.

Standing firm for the truth, Guys For Life is working with pregnancy centers, churches, men’s ministries, youth groups and other organizations nationally to attack the problem of selfishness in the hearts and minds of men. According to a PRC St. Louis P.A.C.E. post abortive study during 2000-2003, one out of every two women today facing the thought of an unplanned pregnancy will tell you that the passive or aggressive nature of the boyfriend will determine a women’s decision to give birth to or abort her child in an unplanned pregnancy. She will also tell you that her husband or even her own father is also pressuring her for an abortion.

Yet, remarkably, those very same women admit (8 out of 10 surveyed) that they would ultimately choose life for their child IF they had simply received support from her boyfriend, husband or father.

Do you now see, my pro-life friend, what has been unfortunately overlooked at a majority of levels of the pro-life environment for the past 32 years? Men, more than any other source or influence, are the main force behind a woman in her decision today to give a child life or death in an unplanned pregnancy.

No longer being overlooked, Guys For Life has been training pregnancy care centers throughout the Midwest in how to design, implement and manage services exclusively targeting men. As a result, this 2006 the Lord delivered through our organization a fabulous report card. Here are some of our results: we actively worked with nine Missouri and Illinois pregnancy centers in 2006; two Midwest centers came on board with full time men’s programs; our assistance helped one center in securing a $600,000 grant for men’s program and healthy marriage initiatives; we assisted one Missouri center in the hiring process of a full time men’s coordinator; we assisted one Missouri center in raising the most funds ever at a fund raising banquet as the key event speaker; we wrote and produced a 30-day Men’s Post Abortive Bible Study; we formed alliances with 4 strategic organizations (Care-Net, Heartbeat International, The Medical Institute and Baptists For Life), and we were the lone presenter of Men’s Ministry at the 2006 Missouri Alliance For Life Conference.

More significantly, Guys For Life has rallied around men and helped them come forward to volunteer their time as mentors in several of America’s finest pregnancy care centers. Jeff Davis, lead male volunteer of the Pregnancy Care Center of Springfield wrote: “It has been almost two years since God called me to the Pregnancy Care Center. After seeing half a dozen clients in the first 15 months, I was really beginning to wonder just what God had in mind! Then Guys For Life came alongside the PCC of Springfield and wow!  I am so blessed to be a part of the fatherhood program that Guys For Life is helping to design and have 5 clients ready to participate!”

Each of us as guys have dreams to pursue, it’s natural. However, whether we are the boyfriend, husband or the father of a woman who is pregnant, let us never put our dreams above the life of an expectant child. We might be overlooking a greater dream God had intended for us.

I know what I am writing about – I was that very boyfriend twenty years ago. My daughter Allison came into the world this way and I could not be more content in putting my dreams aside for the greater dream God had for us. Thankfully God slowed me down just enough not to overlook one of the greatest joys of my life. Amen.

For more information regarding Guys For Life, Inc. contact us at Guys For Life, Inc., PO Box 220453, Kirkwood, MO 63122 or give us a call at (314) 229-2493. You can also visit our web site at www.guysforlife.org or send us an e-mail at info@guysforlife.org.