Abortion.
This word brings up so many reactions, emotions and opinions.
It feels like one of those four letter words that make people on edge, uncomfortable, or angry... for different reasons.
Or silent. Because it's just too much, too hard.
Many people are fighting for women's rights and support of women and want them to have the best care possible.
Shouldn't they have the right to decide?
Many people are fighting for the rights of the baby and want to make sure that their voice is able to be heard because they literally cannot speak for themselves.
Shouldn't they have the right to live?
For those who are fighting for justice: it's always important to see ALL of what is happening and then to ask: what can I do to help?
Not what do I think I can do or what do I feel I should do, but really what is needed? What is necessary? What is happening here?
When we put aside what we think the right answer is and look at the facts with an open heart and mind, we are able to see and understand the truth.
When we put aside what we feel that we can or cannot do to help, we are able to enter into the fight when we felt overwhelmed before or enter the fight rightly when we had a personal agenda before.
It is too much to handle.
It is too much to bear.
It is too much to see.
It is too much to hear.
It is too much for her.
It is too much for you. For me.
Why not? Can't we just make it go away?
Sometimes I wish for that, too.
If you are overwhelmed, I understand. It is too much.
I often feel as though my heart can't take anymore.
I was watching Lord of the Rings trilogy in its entirety during a weekend vacation with a friend a couple weeks ago.
And, I was struck by this more than ever before:
They had arguments. Thousands of years of history of racism, anger, hurt and betrayal.
Some of them headstrong and proud, some of the weak and undecided, some of them who had run from the fight, some of them simple and innocent.
They were such a band of misfits who had all failed, been misplaced or were completely inadequate in some way.
And they were so few.
And the darkness and fear was too great.
There was no way that they could win.
But, they joined together. And they fought. Even though they had no reason for hope. No reason to keep going. No way to know if others would join them. No way to know if others had survived. And some of them didn't survive. And some of them didn't have happy and healed endings.
But, they fought anyway.
Together.
And, they won.
And, I cried more than I had ever cried watching those movies.
Because in them, I saw us.
We always have more than we can handle.
We are the misfits: we all have been misplaced, run away, fought each other, been hurt, hurt others, missed the mark, too innocent, had it stripped and so much more. That's part of life. It happens to us and we do it to each other.
What can be done?
We need healing and we need to help others heal.
We need to fight the darkness and spread around the good.
We can't ignore it and hope it will go away.
We can't lighten it up, smooth it over or run away.
We can try to.
But, it won't solve it, heal it, or help it.
It will keep spreading and consume us.
Because it's happening. So we cannot afford to be silent or neutral.
We cannot afford to be angry at each other.
We cannot afford to fight each other.
We must get down to business.
We must have open minds and hearts.
We must remember we are dealing with people.
People with damage and baggage.
With a story to tell.
And even in the most hopeless of situations, there is a reason to hope. There is a reason to live. There is a reason to fight. To choose life. To fight for it.
We must enter into the fight in some capacity or another.
You don't have to be on the front lines. But, you can't be silent.
You can't ignore it and wish it away.
It must be dealt with.
Yes, you are just one person.
This battle isn't on you. You aren't the one carrying the cause. Because we can't fix it. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can. But, He calls us to action- to love good and hate evil. To speak the truth and to love.
One person can speak truth and love- letting the light shine in the darkness. It may not change her mind. It may not change her situation. It may not save the baby. But, she will know that she was loved. And, she will know the truth. And she will be introduced to the Person who IS truth and love- the One who changed our lives.
And He can change everything. He already has.
And, you are NOT alone. There are other people in this fight. And we need you in it, too. We can fight, side by side, for these women and children.
People need to be loved.
She is worth it. Her baby is worth it.
Life is worth it.
Ways that you can enter the fight:
PRAY.
Nothing is more important than your prayers in the fight.
And in that, the Lord will show you further what you can do.
SUPPORT.
- With your finances
Support your local crisis pregnancy center financially.
If you live in the Madison or Gibson county area, click here
If you live somewhere else, click here
- With your time
If you live in the Madison county area, call 731-664-8443.
If you live in the Gibson county area, call 731-855-2900.
Also, if you live in either of these areas, Haywood, Hardeman or Fayette counties, click here for more information on Birth Choice's mobile unit.
You can locate the crisis pregnancy centers in your area here
CONVERSATION.
- Ask questions.
- Talk about it.
- Encourage others to enter the fight. Encourage those who are in the fight. Encourage those who are switching sides.
VOTE.
- Vote for those who will protect life.
- Don't vote for those who are pro-choice.
You can look up online their history of voting for or against the issue of life.
The numbers of lives lost to abortion is staggering. We need to vote for those who will fight to protect life legally. The governmental money feeding abortion financially needs to be stopped. We cannot afford to be neutral in our voting on this issue.
Also, we want those who have had an abortion to know that there is healing and that you can have a safe place to talk about it. Many of the volunteers that I know at the crisis pregnancy center in Jackson, TN have had an abortion in the past or know someone who has.
If you have had an abortion and are looking for healing and you live in the Madison county area, click here
If you don't live in the Madison county area, click here
There is a new movie that has just come out.
It's about this fight that we are in.
It's called Unplanned.
It's about the youngest clinic director of a Planned Parenthood, Abby Johnson, who desired to fight for women and helping them get the health care that they need. She worked for them for 8 years, starting as a volunteer escort, but then, after assisting with an abortion, realized that she needed to fight for the babies, too.
It's never too late.
If you are an abortion worker and are looking for other options, click here
Here is some information that I found as I researched this movie:
Info on the movie- the website for Unplanned, click for website here
Background of making the movie, click here (27:25)
Steven Crowder interviewing Abby Johnson in Jan 2019, click here (42:44)
More info about Abby Johnson, click for website here
Interview of actress, Ashley Bratcher, taking the role of Abby Johnson in the movie, Unplanned, and what it meant to her, click here (4:58)
Testimony of actress, Ashley Bratcher: her story of her unplanned pregnancy, click here (7:19)
Albert Mohler on his discussing a soundbite about the movie as well as how Hollywood has responded to it, click here (enterity approx. 26; section on Unplanned: 11:15)
