During the first two hours, an older woman and teen drove into the parking lot. The teen went inside the mill. The older woman sat in the car. Several of us took turns calling to her, begging her to talk with us, get our free ultrasound, look at our list of resources. Finally, she told us there was no baby. The nurse from the RV with the mobile ultrasound unit continued talking with the older woman and discovered the teen had miscarried and was here for a D and C. (Removing the dead tissue and uterine lining following miscarriage.) The nurse tried to convince the older woman that the abortion mill was not a safe place to have that procedure done. I tried to talk with the older woman as well, telling her how important it was to get her daughter out of that terrible place who only do abortions. (We are frequently lied to, so always assume the person is there for an abortion no matter what they tell us.)
The woman rolled up her window and got on her cellphone. The teen came out a half hour or so later and again, we all counseled and called to her, telling her no matter what was going on with her, she needed to leave the clinic which has been shut down twice due to malpractice issues. The girl appeared to be crying, and seemed to be ignoring us. Then she returned to the clinic. The abortionist arrived, arms full of pizza boxes. It always amazes me that he can eat prior to the grisly, bloody act he then performs. Especially something with tomato sauce. I couldn't.
The teen came out again, and I hurried over to the far end of the parking lot where she was headed. She stopped to talk with the older woman, and they came out of the car as I called to them. I couldn't believe it when they walked towards me.
"Do you do free ultrasounds?" she asked.
"Yes. And pregnancy tests.Tell me what's going on," I said.
"The doctor told me I miscarried...but I am not sure. I want to be sure before I have the D and C."
"I admire you for that," I said, "We can tell you if your baby is still there. They won't tell you that in the abortion clinic. They will lie to you, and have, to other women who were told they miscarried when the baby was alive."
The woman told me she was very stressed. She didn't want the baby, but she couldn't get a D and C without knowing if the baby still lived. She told me she believed in God, though as I questioned her more, her faith seemed very shallow. Still...it was something to work with! I talked with her about God's love and provision, and shared a brief Gospel message. She was stony-faced and didn't seem to be listening. Then I asked if I could pray with her, before we did the ultrasound. She said I could. I prayed that the little baby still lived, but if not, that God would comfort and guide this young lady. She began crying and told me she was overwhelmed with either scenario.
We went in to the ultrasound unit. The older lady came too. She turned out to be the grandmother. She had not known the clinic was an abortion clinic. Had she known, she told me, she would not have brought her granddaughter there. As the nurse began pressing the ultrasound scope on the teen's belly, the image appeared on the screen. I was praying the whole time. I didn't see anything pulsating...like a heart.
"Here's the sac," said the nurse, "This dark oval. And this white at the bottom is the baby."
I think we all held our breath as the nurse pressed the scope and moved it slowly. And then, we saw it. The tiny fast rhythm of a beating heart. The baby was alive. The young mama had not miscarried. Had she not stopped and turned back to talk with us, her living child would have been sucked away.
She didn't show much emotion, but she watched intently each time the nurse settled the ultrasound on the beating heart of her child. When she got dressed and we sat back in the consultation room, I asked what she was feeling.
"Stressed." I had already pulled out of my pack of materials several pages of verses about "hope." Normally we try to give a strong Gospel message, and a purity message. What God was directing me to say instead was His message of Hope when we feel we cannot handle what life has given us.
"Would it be ok if I share something from the Bible?" I asked.
"I don't want to hear a lecture," she said.
"It is not a lecture!" I said, "I know sometimes it sounds like God is this big bad killjoy in the sky with a bunch of do nots, doesn't it?"
She nodded.
"But these verses, all these pages are God's promises of hope to His hurting children. Listen to this one:
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
She seemed to be listening.
"And this one: Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
See, life is hard sometimes, and it seems impossible, but God promises He is there. He will give us strength, He will uphold us. He has a plan for your life. In walking out of that clinic, you took a step towards God. I think you heard His still, small voice, and you acted upon it. That takes courage."
She didn't quite know how she would manage, but she chose life for her baby. Her grandmother, who is against abortion, was thrilled and promised to help her. Her own mother would help her. She has more support than many of the women we counsel. She said several times how stressed she was and I told her what my mom always told me, "You know what to do in the next five minutes. Just do that. And then do the same thing in the five minutes after that. Don't worry about planning your whole life. Just plan the next five minutes. And when you feel stressed, let me encourage you to read the Psalms. They are written by a man who was fleeing for his life, yet he found comfort and peace in God. You can too."
There was a knock on the RV door. The security person had come to my fellow sidewalk counselors and brought them a woman who he thought we should talk to. I was dumfounded. That mama, led to us by the person who worked at the abortion mill, chose life for her baby as well. You never know, you just never know in what unexpected places hope may blossom.
*******************
to join this life changing ministry, visit charlotte.cities4life.org
*******************
Awesome day Vicky! Babies lives saved.
ReplyDelete