I am grateful to be a part of a body of believers who will speak out for the voiceless and hit their knees to intercede on their behalf. But in all the articles I've read, Facebook posts with your thoughts and opinions, videos of pastors explaining the Biblical view on abortion, I find myself missing a key component. What about the moms? The only thing I have heard in regard to the moms is my Pro-Choice friends standing for their right to choose. I have not heard or read or seen anyone calling out for these moms.
In church this morning we worshiped to a song called Came To My Rescue by Bethel. In it we sang the lyrics:
I called
You answered
And You came to my rescue
And I wanna be where You are
Our worship leader cried out for us to intercede and lift up those babies and all I could do was weep as my heart began to break for the moms. God reminded me this morning of how He rescued me, because guys- I was one of those moms.
I found myself sobbing out broken prayers for the mom who followed through with it. I cried out for the mom who thought this was her way out. I was praying for the mom who thought she could leave the pain and burden of guilt and shame at the clinic. I prayed for the mom who was considering her options. I prayed for the mom who felt utterly hopeless and lost. For the mom who looked at her negative checking account, 2 full time jobs, and 3 hungry mouths and decided that she really didn't have a choice at all.
When I was 18 years old I found myself broken, lost, alone, and pregnant. Again. I was a mess. My life was a mess and I had nothing to show except the 2 little girls who called me Mama. I couldn't handle another baby. So as secretly as I could be, I went to the clinic and I had the procedure that would end my unborn child's life. I didn't realize at the time that I wasn't just freeing myself from the consequences of my reckless lifestyle, but I was also branding the guilt and shame of murder onto my heart. These consequences were ones that would follow me for years.
One day, several years later, God encountered me in a way that forced me to confront what I had hidden for so long. I desperately wanted redemption. I yearned for restoration. I longed for acceptance from a loving Father, but I could never accept His love or grace because I was clinging to the shame of killing my own child. I was clinging to the title that was screamed over me. MURDERER! I didn't deserve to be forgiven for this, because there was no undoing what I had done.
But God.
He rescued me when I didn't even know how desperately I needed it. He showed me He wasn't mad at me. He didn't want to punish me. He wanted to set me free.
Not only that, but in His overwhelming grace and love, God showed me my baby. He told me his name. And he promised me that He was caring for my son until I could be with him to hold him myself. Guys. I have a memory engraved in my mind of me holding my son. The son I never actually met in the physical. I can describe his little face, his head full of black hair, and the soft little blanket that he was swaddled in. God rescued him.
I know what it's like to make a decision that will follow you around, no matter how put together you make yourself seem. I know what it's like to keep that secret in the darkest corner of your heart. I know what it's like to not allow it to come out because you feel so ashamed and broken that you know you don't deserve anything but to feel the pain forever.
These poor defenseless babies need our prayers, sure. But I know in my spirit that God is taking amazing care of them. They are in paradise being cared for by the Abba Father of all creation. I mean, there is really no topping that.
But these moms... These moms need our prayers. They need a love encounter from God. They need to know that we don't condemn them. We don't hate them. We don't want to see them burn. Church, we need to stand up and pray for their salvation, their redemption, and their revelation of who God is and who they are in Him. We were commissioned over 2000 years ago to seek the lost and share the salvation that's already been paid for. We need to show these women a better way before they get to a point of considering an abortion. And for those who've already made the choice- we need to LOVE them without expectation or conditions.
I assure you, they don't need our condemnation, they've already condemned themselves. They don't need your cruel titles thrown on them, they've already accepted these new names. They need to see and know that there is hope. That there is a God who will not only redeem them, but who will wash away their sins and forget them like they never happened.
Sure, I had an abortion. I killed my son. But I have accepted the gift of grace from a Father who loves me beyond measure. So I can stand here today and confidently say that I am not a murderer. By His blood, my sins have been taken away and are no more. God has forgotten them, so why wouldn't I?
Church, let's drop to our knees tonight and cry out for these moms before it's too late. Let's be sure not to shake a judgmental finger and instead reach a kind hand out to a hurting heart. Let's join together and ask Holy Spirit to sweep through the streets of New York and our own cities and change the hearts of those living there. Let's ask God for a supernatural encounter that will bring hope, encouragement, peace, and comfort to a hurting and lost people.
Heavenly Father we come to you tonight to seek your face. You are the One who knows every heart and every need. You are the only One who can rescue those who are lost and hopeless. Show them your glory, God. Show them your unyielding love. Lord, hold these women who are being faced with a choice. Urge them to turn to You and be comforted by your wisdom and loving arms. Show them the Abba Father that you are. Pour out your Spirit on them and overwhelm them with your love and grace. Keep these babies safe in your arms, God. Shield them while in their mother's wombs and keep them from all pain, Lord. You are the only one who knows what to do about these new laws and regulations. You are the only one who can rescue. Have your way, Lord. Your will be done here as it is in Heaven. We love you and we trust you completely. In Jesus Christ's holy name, Amen.
