A Special Purpose

I’m so excited to finally be able to share this story with you! It’s a story of love, life, and loss. It’s a story of God’s redemption and healing. It’s a story I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

It was July 27^th, a typical Monday morning, which means I was at the abortion mill. One of our team members was gone that morning, leaving me as the counselor to go on the RV with any woman who wanted an ultrasound. I had the training to do that back in May, but had never had the opportunity to go on with anyone yet. I was nervous, but praying hard that someone would come for an ultrasound, and near the end of the morning, someone did!

She and her boyfriend came on and shared their story with the nurse and me. It was a story we hear often; she already had four children (all four from the same father, but a different man than her current boyfriend), was in school, and just didn’t know how in the world she was going to be able to have a baby right now. Besides, she shared that there were some relationship problems between her family and her boyfriend’s family and that her boyfriend had been physically abusive toward her.

We spent a while talking, addressing the issues that came up and giving help, support, and answers where we could. After a while we took the boyfriend outside to one of the men on our team so that they could give him some counsel from a man and so that we could talk with the woman alone with the hope that she would be a little more open without him there. She was, and we were able to have a good conversation. She shared with us that she had been close to God a number of years ago, but that some bad influences in her life and led her down a wrong path and she had been making some bad decisions. She then told us that she wanted to rededicate her life to following God right then and there, and she did.

Before they left that morning we gave her some maternity clothes and made a plan about how to follow up on her other needs. Among other things, we were going to get a 3D ultrasound to determine her baby’s gender so that we could plan a baby shower since it had been 5 years since her last baby and she didn’t have anything.

God had other plans. One week later as we were still discussing scheduling for the ultrasound, she texted me: she had miscarried. She sent a photo of her perfectly formed, 19 week old son. I was stunned. I cried. In a way, he felt like my baby. I had been able to see his life literally snatched from death only a week before, and now he was gone. Of course, I knew that he was in a much better place and would never have to face the trials of this earth, and I rejoiced in that. I also rejoiced that he had been able to be loved and treasured by his mama before he died, instead of dying a painful death at his own mama’s hands through abortion.

As I was thinking of the sadness that I felt at this loss and texting with the mama, I thought of something that we often tell women at the abortion mill: that God has created their child for a special purpose. That includes this little boy, even though he never lived outside his mama’s womb. I think that some of the purpose of his life was what God wanted to do in his mama's heart, and in mine. I know I haven’t been the same after this experience, and his mama hasn’t either. His short life accomplished so much for God and when his purpose was fulfilled, God took him home.

I have been able to keep in touch with this mama, and we were able to go out to lunch together shortly after her miscarriage. It was a good time to connect and share. She recently asked to go out with me again, so we plan to do that. She really wants to follow God and do what is right, but she has very little encouragement from her friends. I’m so thankful for the opportunity I have had to show her some love and support during a difficult time in her life. Please continue to pray for this mama as she cares for her other children, continues her schooling, and seeks to do what is right. And please pray for me (and our whole team) that we could continue to reach out and touch lives for Jesus!