With our Youth For Life Prayer Walks happening September 13 in Love Life cities across the nation, we want to share the story of a young woman who has become a powerful voice for life—Grace Dillon.
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in
conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
I Timothy 4:12
When Grace Dillon was eleven years old, she attended her first Love Life prayer walk. This sparked an immediate burden for the unborn, and she decided at that young age that God wanted her to be a voice for the voiceless. She thought, “I can’t let this go on and happen right in front of me. I have to make a difference.”
When she turned 16, she began volunteering as a Sidwalk outreach team member with Love Life. Now, almost 21, she ministers on the DC sidewalk as often as she can while training with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). The SWO team in DC is new and still forming, so Grace has been used during prayer walks to demonstrate sidewalk ministry while the prayer walkers watch and pray. At the ripe age of 20, she is a seasoned veteran on the Sidewalk.
She said that early on, the greatest challenge was intimidation from the pro-abortion group. They taunted her because of her age.
“You know nothing,” they said to her, “You cannot even vote yet. You are just a kid. What do you know about this?”
In her heart, Grace would respond, “But I know this is a baby and that baby should not die.”
She was so convicted over what God would have her do, that she prodded her family to attend every prayer walk. They complied, and missed very few walks. She also had support and encouragement from her church. Her church has been very involved with Love Life for years. It is even starting a Life Center House in Statesville for moms who choose life but have other children and struggle to find housing. At one point, her pastor was the Greensboro Love Life City Director. The determination of her church and support of her family helped Grace to overcome her fears, and speak boldly despite the taunts of the opposition.
Grace is adamant that young people can and should be involved in the end of abortion. She says, “God used David at 17 to kill Goliath. Miriam age age 13 told Pharaoh’s daughter to save baby Moses. Let’s not waste the opportunity of our young days to make a difference in our generation. We need to stand for truth. The enemy wants us to believe that our voice isn’t powerful because we are young…but because we are young, we know we cannot do it on our own power. So God gets all the glory.”
She is very excited about the Youth for Life prayer walk in September. She said that one of the highlights of her past 4 years in sidewalk outreach was speaking at a Youth Prayer walk and sharing her testimony. One of the proabortion crowd told her afterwards that it was hard to look at her as she spoke, because she “glowed.” But the greatest joy for Grace was seeing so many young people inspired and coming forward to volunteer.
After only two times on the DC sidewalk, Grace spoke with a mother, who listened, and then drove away.
A baby saved!
“So many of the moms coming to abort are young. I think it can be very powerful for them to see another young person there standing strong in her conviction that the baby deserves to live.” Grace pauses, and then says, “I learned not to listen to the enemy…but to listen to the Lord.”
We hope you’ll join us for the Youth For Life Prayer Walk on September 13. While this event is youth-led, it’s open to everyone—families, churches, and individuals of all ages who want to take a stand for life in their city. Bring your church, bring your kids, and come stand with us as we shine the light of Christ at the darkest places in our communities.