It has been a very difficult week at the abortion center sidewalks. So many women who were on the fence about choosing life for their babies were struggling and questioning. I was on my bike after leaving the sidewalks because the insistent Winter had decided to nap and Spring crept out of the bedroom to frolic for a few hours in Charlotte. I always take advantage of beautiful days to commune with God in the glory of His creation.

It was beautiful and peaceful. My phone is mounted on my handlebars so I can use the GPS, take photos, etc. While pedaling along and enjoying the quiet of the greenway save for the call of birds along the path’s budding treees, I received a text. It was a mom several of us connected with Cities4Life have been counseling for days. We knew her appointment for the abortion was looming.

“I am still undecided if I will abort,” she texted.

“May I call?” I texted back.

“Yes.”

For the next hour or so, I spoke to the mom. This is someone who claims Jesus is Lord, and claims to love God. Her boyfriend was urging abortion however and she didn’t feel like she wanted the baby because of that. She said she would have this abortion, feel bad, repent, but she knows she will still go to Heaven because God is a forgiving God.

I had been counseling another woman over the past few days who was saying the exact same things. Thus, I had several verses and thoughts already prepared in my mind. I shared these verses with her:

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (Hebrews 10:26)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7: 21-23)

I asked her if those verses concerned her. She had not known of those verses. They did worry her.

Then she told me she did not really want to abort, but she had plans, important plans, and the baby would make those more difficult. Yet with searing honesty she said she knew abortion was wrong, but she was selfish and she was in a hard place.

I told her she was in the same hard place every one of us is in at every crossroad in our life. Do we follow self or do we follow God? Do we disobey God and follow Satan, or do we honor God and follow Him?

Now she told me she was really pretty certain she would NOT abort this baby, but she was just being honest...she didn’t know if she could follow through on this. “One thing you will know about me is I am not a liar,” she said.

I told her I respectfully challenged that. I believed she was lying to herself and to God. I reminded her of this verse: Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, (1 John 2:4)

“Wow Miss Vicky, you sure say some blunt things! You don’t dance around it, do you?”

“No. A baby’s life is at stake. I believe you are playing with fire. I believe you are giving Satan a toe-hold. Unless you slam the door on the possibility of abortion, Satan is going to wedge that door open. Do you know the parable of the person who swept her house clean when a demon leaves but she leaves the door open for it to return by not fully following Jesus and seven demons return worse than the one who left? “

Luke 11:23-26 NIV

[23] “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. [24] “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' [25] When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. [26] Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

“No,” she told me.

“Well that story shows us that we are either for God or against Him. I believe you need to admit to yourself now, out loud that you will not abort this child. I think until you do, you will waver in doubt and you give Satan a foothold. Just like it is saying one thing to declare Jesus LORD and another to behave in a way that shows He truly IS LORD, it is one thing to say you don’t think you should or will abort, and another to DO what you say. Close the door on abortion, and we will help you to follow that commitment.”

I shared many more stories as she threw up other objections. All amounted to the same thing in essence she had been saying all along. She knew abortion was wrong, but she didn’t want to give up her plans for her life. My arguments all amounted to the same thing as well. God’s purpose in creating us was not for our happiness, but to glorify Him in all we think, say, and do.

“OK,” she said

“OK what?” I asked.

“OK. I am ready to say I will not abort this baby.”

“And mean it?” I asked.

“Yes. I will not abort this baby and I will do everything in my power to bring him safely into this world.”

She immediately dropped all pretenses and sobbed her heart out. They were tears of relief. A great battle for her soul had been waged...and God won.

I almost crashed my bicycle because my eyes flooded with tears. I was shaking. It had been such a hard spiritual battle. Plus I had been biking almost twenty miles by now as I talked with her....

We instantly galvanized the team to set up a 3-d ultrasound, mentorhsip propgram with Lovelife Charlotte, and plans for baby shower. The folks in charge contacted her immediately. She was so relieved. I knew she would be. Kicking Satan down the street always feels good.

When I got home, I had a call scheduled with a second difficult case. The woman had finally chosen life after several team members again had all counseled her. I was to call the boyfriend who, as in the story I just relayed, wanted abortion. The boyfriend would not answer his phone, though for two days I had been trying to call and he had told his pregnant girlfriend he would talk with me.

Finally, I decided I had nothing to lose and sent a text. The text was about the humanity of the baby, the development of the baby, the horror of abortion, the clear commands of God to protect the baby and the mom who did not want to kill her baby, the challenge to be the man God called him to be and to help the mother of his child.

No response.

Last night, I received this text from that mom:

I know you're sleeping, but I just wanted you to know that you don't need to talk with my boyfriend . We are all good, we are on the same page and we're here trying to support each other and we already set out a thing that each of us will put money each week to make a savings for the baby

Hallelujah!!!

I tell you these stories to encourage you. Abortion is a gruesome, barbaric, horrific, violent end of an innocent baby’s life. Nothing justifies exchanging that baby’s life for our own. God’s commandments are clear: Rescue those being led away to death, hold back those stumbling to the slaughter, Thou shalt not murder.

We are NOT to remain silent. We ARE to judge, but judge with God’s righteousness.