Faced with the end of his unemployment he received a call from his union rep with a job offer as a foreman for eleven months with a salary between 65,000 and 70,000 dollars. But Tim turned it down...because it was part of the building of a planned parenthood clinic.
Any quotes used from this point on are from the article found here.
Tim did not even pause. They would find other ways to alleviate the tight budget and hard times. They would find ways that would not involve taking a life. Tim's wife, Nicole, tried at first to justify taking the job. They both, however, quickly saw that the excuse of "it's just a clinic" would not sit right with their consciences. Nicole is proud of her husband:
“What struck me most is that he turned it down immediately, He had within himself that sort of moral upbringing that had him immediately recognize that this was not the right thing to do."
The rest of Tim and Nicole's story, about how the whole ordeal of job loss has strengthened their faith as both individuals and a family, is in the link above. I want to focus for a second on what it takes to make such a decision.
First, it takes awareness. A pro-life person needs to be aware of where their money goes and what if funds. In this case the link was direct. He would have been helping to build a place that killed and led people to kill. No amount of money was worth that. But there are subtler things for us to remember in how we spend our money. Do you choose Pepsi or SoBe, from abortion supporting Pepsi Co or Coke, Vitamin water or the local knockoff that does not support it? What level of involvement is alright? Is it alright to buy from a company that contributes to general dispersal organizations like the United Way who allow people to choose Planned Parenthood as a place to donate? Or are direct contributors like Pepsi and AT&T. Each person needs to look at the involvement of the companies they support and determine what that means. Some people are uncomfortable with boycotts and a case can be made for more effective methods depending the level of involvement from the company and how it hurts the workers as well. It is a matter of making a moral decision based on the awareness of the issue and what we know to be right. Awareness means not being lazy about finding out where the money is going and how it gets there. It means facing what that money train means and how we are a part of it. But awareness needs something else to make it a force.
Second, it takes Courage. Awareness needs courage to be active. We can know, ponder and decide to do a large number of things...but the action of doing them in the face of hardship, ridicule and derision takes courage. Tim turned down a 70,000 dollar job when he and his family were facing a bleak set of options. That takes courage. But that courage comes from something else.
Third, it takes Faith. Tim had the faith to know and believe abortion is wrong. He also had the faith to look right into the presented solution to his problems, vacations for his children and comforts for the whole family, and have the faith that God would provide. To place the situation in God's hands rather than do what he knew was wrong.
Awareness, to know the situation.
Courage, to act on what is right.
Faith, to guide us in knowing right from wrong and sustain us in our courage.
Dear Lord, as lent continues help us have the awareness to see how our lives effect everyone around us. Give us the courage to make difficult choices and give us the faith to know you will help us in all our hardships.
