Today, we attended the rally at the Scottish Rite in Fort Wayne. In the lobby, we were privileged to meet Congressman Mark Souder. I thanked him for being so dedicated and passionate in defending life and moral issues in Washington and I even prayed with him. I also told him that hopefully, he would rub off on Evan Bayh. He said, “I wouldn’t hold your breath.” How sadly true!! I told him how aggravated I was that Mr. Bayh claims he has Hoosier values, but doesn’t advocate for the values that Hoosiers really do hold dear. So, while I will not be holding my breath for Mr. Bayh, I will continue holding him up in prayer.
Oh, and before I explain more details of the day, I just happened to catch the report of the rally and march on the news tonight and wouldn’t you know, they have footage of us talking with Mark Souder!! AND, they got a close-up of our daughter Gianna (who, I might add, we named after abortion survivor Gianna Jessen). When/if I can get the video clip of that, I will be sure to share it!! I e-mailed the station and asked if they will have a link to that footage (or if I can get a copy of it and permission to upload and share it….though, I won‘t hold my breath for this either).
So, anyways, Mark Souder was one of the many speakers at the Rally. He had a lot of good things to say. He even made the point of saying that even when we get Roe Vs. Wade overturned, the fight for life will never truly be over. There will still be abortion (just like there was before the ruling) because there is sin and evil in this world. And, it will continue to be that way until the Lord returns because Satan is always trying to destroy the lives that God creates. But, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t fight with all our might!! We are making a difference and things will be better!! And, we should stand for life as it pertains to all areas; not just abortion alone. We need to stand up for the elderly, disabled, and for the babies who are experimented on and destroyed through stem-cell research.
After the rally, we marched in the frigid cold through downtown Fort Wayne. At the end of the march, we listened to a few women tell their heart-breaking stories of abortion and how it has hurt them. They described the emotional and mental scarring, as well as the physical problems that many of them had. One woman nearly bled to death after having her abortion. Another woman almost miscarried in her subsequent pregnancy. All of these painful things were never discussed or disclosed to them by their “health care“ providers providing them a “choice.” (Yeah, some “choice“ isn‘t it when you aren‘t truly informed! That‘s not “choice“ at all!). They were all grieved at how they were deceived and that they bought the lies because they have suffered dearly for it in so many ways.
All of them described the condemnation and judgment they felt. One even described how a peaceful protester outside the clinic begged her not to do it because she had a daughter who did and committed suicide a short time later. Yet, she went ahead and went through with it and afterwards, almost did the same thing. Thankfully, though, she did find healing through the women’s care center, joined the Bible study, and found redemption and healing. So did many of the other women there who described how they carried the condemnation and shame with them for years. They encouraged others that if they had been through what they had gone through to please reach out and seek healing. There is nothing that God can’t forgive you for. There is NOTHING the blood of Jesus doesn’t cover!!
There is so much more I could say about their touching speeches, but it’s impossible to remember and articulate it all. Though, I will end with one particular moment that really grabbed my heart and that was when one woman talked about how she changed her mind in the middle of her abortion. The “doctor” said that it was too late. And, she struggled with the pain as she watched kids at the mall with their Mommies or as she heard them laugh. She said it made her feel so guilty and she was unable to enjoy life because the abortion had robbed her of her joy. Her devastation continued even after she had more children. Whenever she looked into their eyes, she would wonder what kind of eyes her firstborn would have had. She would watch her children play baseball and feel the regret of not letting her firstborn have the chance to play and swing the bat. She beat herself up terribly over that until she came to Christ and allowed Him to heal her. She said because of what God had done for her, she now had the courage to be “silent no more.”
That is where these links come in. If you have had an abortion, know someone that has, or are even a man who regrets being party to the decision to abort your child, here are some help links. There is hope, help, and recovery. You do NOT have to go through this alone!! There are people who care who can help you through your pain:
Silent No More Awareness
www.silentnomoreawareness.org
National Option Line
1-800-395-HELP
www.care-net.org
www.heartbeatinternational.org
www.optionline.org
Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats
1-877-HOPE-4-ME
www.rachelsvineyard.org
Abortion Recovery International Network Directory
www.abortionrecoverydirectory.com
National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation and Healing
1-800-5WE-CARE
www.noparh.org
Healing Hearts Ministry
1-888-217-8679
www.lutheransforlife.org/outreach/healing_hearts/index.htm
Healing Hearts Ministries (online e-mail emotional support)
1-888-792-8282
www.healinghearts.org
National Memorial for the Unborn
1-800-505-5565
www.memorial-unborn.org
Rapha (refers to licensed counselors)
1-800-383-4673
Victims of Choice
(630) 378-1680
www.victimsofchoice.com
Safe Haven Ministries (online message board emotional support)
www.safehavenministries.com
Elliot Institute
www.afterabortion.org
Ramah International
www.ramahinternational.org
Hope Alive, USA
(479) 855-0072
www.hopealiveusa.org
Project Rachel (Pregnancy Loss Outreach of the Catholic Church)
www.hopeafterabortion.com
SaveOne
866-329-3571
www.saveone.org
Life Issues (for men)
(513) 729-3636
www.lifeissues.org
Jennifer O’Neill book, workbook & video
www.jenniferoneill.com
2 comments:
Funny how "Hoosier values" just happen to coincide completely with your faith.
You do realize of course that it is possible to not be a Christian and still value human life. I know this is probably a foreign cocept for you, but please think about it.
Sure. I understand that. It's not foreign to me at all. In fact, I know a former atheist who was pro-life long before he became a Christian. As Mike Huckabee explained to Tim Russert, you don't have to be a Christian to know and realize that life is a basic human right.
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