Deliverance From Evil

I was on a run yesterday morning when I got the following text from a young woman who had almost aborted her baby last week. She met me on the sidewalks of the abortion center and told me a major obstacle for her in keeping her baby was she knew her mother would be terribly disappointed in her. She was unmarried, young, and living at home. How could she tell her mother she was pregnant?

"Would your mother be more distraught in knowing you were pregnant, or in knowing you had aborted her grandchild without even telling her?" I asked.
The young woman agreed perhaps her mother would be more upset by the latter.

The text she sent to me was to thank me for arranging a 3-D ultrasound (free of charge through Cities4Life supporters) and a baby shower (courtesy of Truth and Mercy Pro-life Ministries, a partner with Cities4Life.) The best part of the text that made my eyes fill with grateful tears was the last sentence:
My parents actually know now too; they said they were very thankful for you and your organization.

What if we hadn't been there? Not only would the baby have been killed and the young mother despairing and living with that fact for the rest of her life, but the unborn child's grandparents would never have had the opportunity to tell their daughter they loved her despite her failures, and they were grateful she had spared their grandchild's life.

At the recent LoveLife Charlotte conference, Daniel Parks, the Cities4Life director, and I presented  the need and role of sidewalk counselors at the abortion center. One man asked us, "Why do so many women flock to the abortion centers instead of the churches?"

Daniel's answer was a good one, and one I think every parent should consider. All the way back to Adam and Eve, when humans disobey God and fall into sin, we do not run to God...we run away. We hide. We don't dare face the only source of forgiveness or help because of our shame.  Daniel suggested that every parent be sure their children know the morals and standards of Godly behavior, but also make it clear to them that if they mess up, they must never fear coming to their parents for help, forgiveness, and love.

The young woman almost killed her baby, which she didn't want to do, out of fear and shame. What a terrible tragedy abortion is in all instances, but especially when driven by such misguided motivations!

Today, I head back out to the abortion center with my wonderful team of volunteers. I will share this young woman's text with them, because sometimes the work out there is not easy. It helps to be reminded that the horror of abortion involves more than just the mom and the baby, and by our presence on the sidewalks, we can actually change the lives of an entire family. To God belongs all the glory, but we get to share in the joy.
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To volunteer with us, please email me at vkaseorg@cities4life.com . We are in need of weekday morning volunteers.
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Psalm 82:3-4

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.