This little baby girl looked at me like she knew me. She may indeed have recognized my voice. Her mama tried to abort her five times, and each time God intervened miraculously to turn the mama away. Often times, I called or met with the mama and spoke with her about all Cities4Life could do to help her and about the precious humanity and development of the child she carried in her womb. We had long discussions about God and how the Bible so clearly proclaims the sanctity of life and the value of every person from the moment of conception. She even made a tearful profession of faith after hearing the full Gospel story.
The baby can hear voices outside the womb. Perhaps she really did know my voice.
But as I gazed at her and felt a swell of love that I really did not quite expect, I told her that the voice I hoped she would always recognize would be God’s. It was God who finally got her mama’s attention.
“He was so good to me, so patient with me,” her mama told me, “He never gave up on me. I kept hearing all the truth all of you were saying to me in my head even though I didn’t want to. You may not think we are listening, but we are. Don’t stop speaking truth. Each time I went to abort her, I heard God saying I should not...And then when they laid her on my chest when she was born...all I could think of was all those times I tried to kill her...and now...how I love her so much.”
“What can I tell the women?” I asked her, “What can I say to those like you who come so afraid and focused on their struggles who think abortion is the answer?”
“Here,” she said. “Close your eyes.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now. Close your eyes.”
I did.
“Now reach out your arms.”
I did.
She placed the soft, warm bundle of precious life in my arms.
“Now just know with your heart. Not your eyes. The world and all its troubles you cannot see, shut those all away, but feel that little baby in your arms. Tell them to do that.”
Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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