The Writing on the Wall: To the Young Woman Who Claims Jesus and is About to Abort

Friday, December 15, 2017

To the Young Woman Who Claims Jesus and is About to Abort

My beautiful daughter and I have a Christmas tradition I cherish. Despite all the drama that inevitably surfaces in life, we have not yet missed a year when we go together to find a clear crystal ornament for my tree. My tree is decorated as my mother always decorated her tree (and in fact, I have her ornaments as she doesn’t decorate a tree anymore.) All white lights and clear crystal. A little white or silver is allowed if necessary, but the goal is a clear crystal ornament and a unique one. You would be surprised how hard it is to find that! It almost always takes two or three stores to find the perfect ornament. We both know it when we see it.

Each year as I decorate my Christmas tree and hang the unique ornaments, each one reminds me of my daughter and brings back memories of her at the age when that particular ornament was discovered. Precious, precious each clear shining ornament is and the path of motherhood and love of my daughter each one evokes.

On our yearly ornament hunt, as we narrow down our choices, we each nix ideas that don’t quite make the cut. It is not an easy task to find a unique completely clear ornament, and we are willing to compromise on very minor deviations if we must. In past years, Asherel has suggested I relax my standard for pure clear crystal. Live a little! Add bright color to the clear crystal.

This year she did not. This year she willingly and stringintly applied my standards to the hunt. She knew I would not bend.

During my day out with Asherel on our ornament hunt, I received some disturbing texts. A young woman I counseled a few days ago appears to be wavering on abortion. She had made a choice for life, but now I am not sure she will remain steadfast. She claims to love God and even told me Jesus was Lord of her life.

I reminded her of how deeply God loves that baby in the womb.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:13-16

Then I exhorted her to consider this verse: Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46)

If we claim Jesus is Lord, then we do what He says. Not only when it is easy, and not only when it aligns with our plans. We do what He says. Period.

I was reading my study for the morning by Charles Spurgeon and it relates so beautifully to this important point. Spurgeon was describing the choice by Ruth to remain with her God-fearing mother-in-law, Naomi, when Ruth’s husband died. Her sister-in-law returned to her pagan country, but Ruth left her homeland of idols and false Gods and instead clung to Naomi and the one true God she worshipped.

Spurgeon summarizes the importance of that choice:

Blessed among women shall those be who for Christ's sake can renounce all; but forgotten and worse than forgotten shall those be who in the hour of temptation do violence to conscience and turn back unto the world.

To the young woman considering abortion, do not in the hour of temptation do violence to your conscience. Turn from the false allure of the world to the truth and promise and commands of a Holy God who loves you and loves that baby within you. Do not relax His standards to meet your needs. It will only lead to further corruption and mar the clarity of your walk and your conscience before Him.

Asherel held the ornament up for me to see. A perfectly clear crystal shark. Unique, clear, and small enough for my tree. It fit all my standards perfectly. I didn’t need to compromise on a single aspect!

“Yes!” we both cried.