“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
Have you ever held a baby? Smelled their baby fine hair and soft sweet head? What about those ten fingers and ten toes? Looking at the tiny fingernails, the curve on little ears and the delicate rounded nose, these details are all declarations that life is fragile, beautiful, a mystery. Life is a sacred creation.
Is there anyone who would actually want a full-term abortion? Has Planned Parenthood (I’m using them as my example because their name is synonymous with abortion) found an even more profitable way to make money on fully developed human life? How is it that we do not see Planned Parenthood for who they really are? A money making business who annually profits in the millions of dollars. (2016 = $77 million*)
I’ve seen people slapping court action on building projects in order to protect a specific bird nest and most recently, appointed representatives who have no problem shutting down the government to ensure opportunities for women and children. Where do we draw the line because for reasons that are beyond my understanding, some Americans are wolves in sheeps clothing, exploiting women and discarding the most sacred of all things, a tiny human life.
I’ve heard the arguments about it being between a woman and her doctor, that it’s a woman’s body so it’s her decision. I don’t deny the ability for a woman to govern her body, but let us not forget there is an emotional price for a woman to pay when her head writes a check that her heart cannot make good on. Would it be so bad to err on the side of adoption vs mental suicide for those women who cannot bear up under the weight of their decision?
Somewhere along the way we forgot who God is. We think the value of human life is self-referencing. We seem to believe that it is all defined by how we feel.
I took classes at a local community college when I was a young mom. We were instructed to choose a controversial topic and write a paper. I chose abortion. There were many avid supporters saying they had no regrets. Many shared that they’d had more than one and they’d do so again if need be. They claimed it to be a quick, simple, affordable solution to their “problem.”
On the other side of the aisle were women riddled with regret. Many admitted their inability and difficulty at day-to-day functioning due to the guilt from their decision. These women broke my heart. Their stories of regret came from not being educated enough on their options to not understanding the procedure. But the most common reason for many women’s decision was because they did not have spouse/boyfriend or family support and felt they had nowhere to turn.
Having to choose an abortion because of lack of resources, sounds like business’ looking for an angle on how to make money vs coming alongside women and providing resources that would support family, her mental and emotional health or make the adoption process easier. But no, red tape abounds. Our government is not vested in doing what it takes to make those changes. They dress abortion up and parade it around town waving banners, shaking hands, and kissing babies.
I came away from that paper knowing that abortion would always have supporters who describe a baby as a mass, blob, or thing. Those who are motivated by their problem or mistake. We’ll also have others who define life as being from conception and define a child’s need for a mother’s nourishment to survive inside the womb as no different from needing her nurture outside the womb.
Before I go any further, I have to confess something. As a young woman, a young Christian woman, I knew abortion would never be an option for me. But, at the same time, I didn’t feel I could stand in the way of someone else who might make that choice. I did feel it was a decision for the mother. I didn’t have any point of reference until I had children and understood exactly what was being exterminated. That was a transforming day in my life solidifying that abortion would never be an option for me, and I would not support it. But I continued to keep quiet until the ultimate transformation of my heart.
In that moment, Christ became more than a historical account on crinkly old pages. He saw me, He knew me, and He responded to my cry. I learned that the depth, height and width of His love is the root of His power and authority. His love is the reason death was conquered, eternal life is available and why nothing can separate us from Him once we choose to love Him in return.
Learning who He is and who He says I am gives me a whole new understanding about the sacredness of life and the purpose for which we are created. That love, His love, is the single driving force behind this blog. I want everyone to know God is not mad at you, He loves you, He died for you, and your life matters to Him.
I want women to know and experience their sacredness and to identify sacredness in others. Women are complex layers of beauty and strength. The pinnacle of a woman’s uniqueness is found in her ability to partner with God in bringing new life into this world and creating generation after generation.
Even now my desire to do away with abortion is not to keep woman from having rights. It’s based on not wanting to further shame those who struggle to live afterward, nor do I want to see a profit made on a very vulnerable time in a woman’s life. I can’t help but think that the percentage of abortions would drop if women had access to real, reliable resources. And what about offering therapy prior to an abortion? Can you imagine the freedom for a woman if she healed the broken places that kept her trapped in a lifestyle of repeated, unwanted pregnancies? Can we remove the stigma of unwed mothers? In doing so, would we be able to change the statistics that reflect she would most likely live in poverty?** What if adoption didn’t have so many layers of antiquated laws and endless red tape? What if it was actually safe and affordable?
Granted, there are no perfect people and that is why God offers grace. But He’s also the Righteous Judge. He’s qualified to take a stand for the unborn because they’re His. He knit them together with His own hands, and He has a plan and a purpose for them. He has created every tiny being in their Father’s image.
How dare we mar and destroy the image of God.
There will still be women who demand abortion and others who see it as a viable means to regain their lives. It’s not that God does not see the motive of the heart (be it pain and brokenness or outright defiance), but without repentance the Righteous Judge has no option but to make His ruling.
God has made it crystal clear that judgment is coming. We’re blessed that it’s not here yet.
There is grace and restoration available for the ones who regret their choices or who continue to struggle with their decision. God longs to lift the burden from our hearts, to heal and restore the pain. He’ll never turn His back on us and, because He’s a good Daddy, He has laid out a plan for us to avoid His judgment. He invites us to receive His offer because He loves and cherishes His children.
Give thanks today that His adoption plan for us is safe, free, has no red tape, and no strings attached.
NOW LIVE LOVED and THRIVE!
* https://marchforlife.org/pp-latest-report/
**http://lib.post.ca.gov/Publications/Building%20a%20Career%20Pipeline%20Documents/Safe_Harbor.pdf
Self-reflection
These questions are in no way a substitute for healthcare professionals or any level of professional counseling. I’m an advocate for taking care of oneself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. These questions reflect my heart, NOT my profession.
This questionnaire is an opportunity to journal your thoughts and feelings. It can serve as a launching pad on which to evaluate your heart condition as you understand it. My hope is that you will take the truths you discover about yourself and hold them up to the Light to evaluate them against who God says you are.
- How do you define a fetus? Blob, human life etc.?
- Are you a Christian who believes abortion is a valid solution? Explain.
- Write down three scriptures to support your answer to the questions above.
- Do you feel life is self-referencing? What do you base your answer on and is it a reliable source?
- What are your thoughts on providing more support and options vs an abortion?
- Do you believe that there is grace and forgiveness after an abortion?
- If your answer was no, please read:
- John 3:16, Romans 8:28, Romans 8:38-39Psalm 32:3 and then Psalm 32:5
1 John 1:9, Psalm 138:8
- What was revealed to you in these scriptures?
Use God’s word to take control over traumas in your life. Whenever you feel terrorized by your thoughts, take them captive by replacing them with the truth of God’s promises found in His word.
Print, then cut and carry this Scripture with you and/or post it in places where you will see it often. Ground yourself in God’s truths not Satan’s attacks. Encourage your heart and mind every time you are reminded of His great love for YOU!
Here is what God’s word says to encourage you and to give you an example of His unfailing, relentless, unending love for you:
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)
When you read God’s Word say to yourself: Every human being is made in the image of their Father, God. We have the finger prints of God all over us because He has formed us with His hands and placed us in the secret place of our mother’s womb. We have a purpose, our life means something and we are dearly loved by our Creator.
Now LIVE LOVED and THRIVE!
