"Oh, How God Loves You!"

I've had the beautiful opportunity to speak to some amazing women. They are strong leaders, devoted mothers, and powerful in every sense of the word. These wonderful ladies also have a burden they carry and a pain they hide. Under the makeup, and hidden behind their accomplishments, remains a sort of memo in the back of their minds, deep in the memories they would rather forget. I have sat with these ladies, young and old, and their stories are the same. Somehow, life happened and they came to a decision of having an abortion. Your eyebrows go up and you exclaim, "How horrible!" And yes, abortion is not the kind of story we highlight and put up in our living room wall. Abortion is not the word we want to sound out, because even saying the word, for many women, it is a reminder that somewhere in their life, in the midst of all the good they have experienced, this dark memory lingers. I have chosen to share their stories because I strongly feel that believers have failed to address the trauma and the hurt so many of these women live with. We are quick to judge, speak against, and condemn those who practice ending a life. We get in their faces and call them killers and murderers. Our anger and our self-righteousness make us judge and jury. Our words condemn them to an eternal hell and assure them it is impossible this choice will ever be forgotten.

To the woman who feels guilty, who lives believing she is forever condemned because of the abortions she had gone through, I ask you to believe God loves you. I pray God's peace over your life and I pray that you will open your heart to believe and accept His love. He has given His life for you and me so that no matter what we have done, big or small, we have forgiveness, and acceptance in His loving arms. And to the woman who has had abortions and feels she has done no wrong, I still love you. I still wish you could discover the beautiful life the Lord has for you. I believe the Lord invites us all to come and see, come and discover His goodness, His love, and His presence. It's in His presence we can see our hearts and our need for Him. But, I leave it there because I am writing to the woman who carries this huge weight in her heart and feels like she cannot breathe. I write to the woman who is hurting because of her choice. Bring it all and leave it all at the feet of Jesus. Do not hear the voices condemning you. Do not listen to the screams and the shouts of those who think they are yelling in God's name. Listen to the soft whisper of Holy Spirit calling you to come away and be made whole. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Oh, to experience the joy of God's presence when we realize He loves us. He loves YOU!

To the woman living with shame and regret, believing you are unworthy of love, I speak rain showers of God's love over your life. I pray an abundance of God's presence to pour into your life today, if you choose to close the umbrella you have held for so long. Walk into the showers of His Love. Oh, God loves you so much. To the woman who says she is cursed of God and that everything that has gone wrong in her life is God's hand of punishment over her, I ask you to come to a stop. Stop. About face. U-Turn and start over. God will not push you away. God is not looking to curse your life but to bless you. God does not desire for you to walk imprisoned.

I am for life, abundant life. I do not believe abortion is the right choice for anyone. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, I am your sister and your friend. I say, "Sorry." for every time you have needed my love and my time, and perhaps I kept you away with my words and my actions. "Forgive me." But, if you have ever made that your choice, and if you feel like the doors of heaven are closed for you, my dear sister, God invites you in today. Will you believe that you are good enough, beautiful enough and worthy enough to be loved and accepted by our Heavenly Father? You are loved. You have worth.

So, what do you do now? Do you find a priest to confess to? Do you go to a church and tell your story? Your story is between you and the Lord and only the Lord can tell you if and when you should share it. If the Lord has shed his marvelous in your heart and the darkness has been blown away, then rejoice and bask in his love. If you have been forgiven and you have a new start, you have given God permission to re-write your life's story. A new story, my sister. If you tell the world about it or not, that is your decision, your choice to tell. Some stories, some traumas, and many difficult moments in our life become our testimony to share with others. But, there are also stories that we cry out to the Lord and it remains in the intimacy of our prayer closet, in the tears we pour out into the hands of our Savior. Once more, the choice is yours.

I would love to hear from you. Should you wish to leave a comment, I promise to respond. May you always know that there is nothing too big, too horrible, or too deplorable to bring to God. He loves you. End of story. You are loved! He offers a new start. I pray today, your new life has just begun.