October 22, 2010
This is not going to be easy to read.
It's about physical, emotional and spiritual pain.
This is the account of women who have had abortions.
When I was a sophomore at Texas A&M, I heard women,
for the first time in my life, give their testimonies
about their abortion experiences. One was in the
military, one was raped, one had been on drugs and
one just didn't feel she could afford a child.
I remember being unaware and naive about how abortion
impacted women -- but how could it not? Their
testimonies were powerful and led me to dive into
pro-life work even more.
Whenever I speak I always thank them for their courage
to inspire me -- and hopefully inspire YOU -- to do
more to end this injustice.
People with abortion experiences CAN find God's
healing. But there's no question, as Linda said in a
blog posting, that "women DO regret their abortions."
"I myself had four abortions," Linda wrote. "1976,
1979, 1982, 1985. This year -- 2010 -- in June, I
only have begun to feel the release of guilt, blame
and shame for what I have done. It took me 24 years
before I attended a post-abortion healing retreat.
It took me another nine years to be a part of the
Silent No More program."
(See http://silentnomoreawareness.org)
She has now prayed in front of the facility where
she had three abortions. "I always deeply wish that
there had been someone there for me in 1976 or any
of my other desperate days," she said. "I may have
listened. And my children would have lived."
"My abortion was over 30 years ago," writes P., "and
I still cry -- when I know of a woman contemplating
abortion, when I have prayed outside an abortion
clinic and watched desperate women going in to kill
their precious baby."
She thanks God for her tears. "I know this is God's
way of keeping the memory of my child on my heart."
"How could I have been so stupid?" Anne asked. "For
many years I have felt personally responsible for one
life being ended and a soul being sent to God. The
burden is heavy! I regret my part in this more
every day."
Eventually, Anne turned to God for forgiveness and
consolation. Still, "I cannot undo the killing of
this precious life. Often, I think of the person he
would have been."
Vivian's oldest daughter had an abortion at the age
of 15. "I paid for the abortion and her father took
her to the clinic," she wrote. "Then later on, she
had another one and I drove her there." At the time,
she thought she was doing the right thing to protect
her daughter.
At that point in her life, Vivian was not a Christian.
"I have since become one, and I had to ask the Father
to forgive me for this horrible sin. I know He has --
and now I pray for these mothers and fathers and
especially for these precious gifts from God."
Allison was praying in front of the Planned Parenthood
abortion center recently. "The spiritual darkness was
very apparent," she said, "but despite this, a man had
the courage to approach us so he could share his story
after seeing a Men Regret Abortion sign."
He had a very simple message. "I'm guilty of making
abortion happen to my girlfriend years ago before I
became a Christian," he said. "Now I live with regret
everyday -- but I know I'm forgiven. It is good you
people are out here. Spread the word!"
If you meet someone who is suffering in the wake of
an abortion experience, you might suggest Rachel's
Vineyard, a group that offers post-abortion healing
retreats. You can find out more about this effective,
compassionate ministry at:
http://rachelsvineyard.org
Here's today's devotional from Rev. J. Kirk van der
Swaagh, Pastor, Conservative Congregational Christian
Conference...
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DAY 31 INTENTION
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For the medical community, that the truth they know
about the human body may become awe and wonder at the
God who made it.
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SCRIPTURE
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Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And
in Your book they all were written, the days
fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of
them.
--Psalm 139:16
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REFLECTION by Rev. J. Kirk van der Swaagh
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Human beings -- God's tapestries.
Psalm 139 is a psalm that reveals the enormity and
otherness of God. His divine attributes are on
display: omniscience (2-4), omnipresence (7-12),
loving-kindness (17-18), justice (19-20),
righteousness (23-24), and omnipotence.
Yet, when it came to express this last attribute,
what example did the psalmist use -- God's creation
of mountains, seas, or far-flung galaxies? No, he
used none of these. To express the wonder of God's
unparalleled creative power the writer mentions the
fashioning of the human in the womb (14-16).
The Hebrew word used to express God's forming of us
in the womb, raqam, is the same term for needlework
or embroidery. In other words, we are a tapestry that
displays God's artistic mastery.
And, like the artist who knows his creation down to
the last detail, God intimately knows us. This
reality provokes the writer to awe and wonder. He
proclaims, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
What is true for this psalmist is true for each human
being. Each is fashioned by God and known by him and
we can proclaim on behalf of each, "I am fearfully
and wonderfully made."
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PRAYER
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Gracious God, help us to appreciate the wonder and
beauty of Your creation. Help us proclaim on behalf
of every one of our fellow human beings, "I am
fearfully and wonderfully made." May the knowledge
that we are intimately known by You shape our lives
and actions. Amen.
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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2010day31print.pdf
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For Life,
Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: What's new with your 40 Days for Life campaign?
Please share the news with everyone! You can do
so by leaving a comment on today's blog entry:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1354