It is Tuesday morning and I have just watched the third video that was released this morning about the Planned Parenthood practice of selling fetal body parts. After seeing graphic evidence of the atrocities that are being committed against precious unborn children, I clicked on the sidebar stories and watched ABC’s ThisWeek segment featuring Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards’ second public response to the video scandal. As she is stating with great conviction how Planned Parenthood helps women by providing abortion services, I am distracted by a horrible noise coming from down the hall.
I go out to the front office to see what is happening, and I learn that our abortion-recovery director is meeting with someone who is interested in attending our post-abortion Bible Study, Forgiven and Set Free.
The sound I am hearing is an adult woman sobbing uncontrollably about her past abortion. She is having an “in-take interview” with our program director to see if she may be able to enroll in our class. As she tells her story to another person for the first time in decades, the dam breaks and the pain and regret of all the years of suppressed emotions come out like a raging storm. The noise she is making sounds like an animal that is mortally wounded. I am glad that she is hearing about the help and healing that is offered freely here at Hope through an in-depth study of God’s word. I can’t hear her words, because the door to the counseling room is closed, but I can feel her pain like a thousand needles through my heart as she weeps.
I sit at my desk and cry, feeling broken-hearted for this unknown woman and feeling outraged over the lies and deception that people believe about the abortion industry. The juxtaposition of good and evil is so dramatic that I physically feel it. This is spiritual warfare. It isn’t just a “concept” that I read about in the Bible – it is real and I can see it every day.
The only comfort I can find is in the fact that God has put me in a place where I can do something to combat this cultural evil. He has planted me at Hope Women’s Centers and he has planted Hope Women’s Centers Medical Centers in the middle of a county that has 23 known locations where abortions are performed, not including private physicians’ offices or hospitals. The death, the pain, and the suffering is all around us, but we are standing firm on the front lines, offering hope, sharing truth, and protecting life.
My dad was in WWII. He didn’t like to talk about it much, but my brother and I knew that he was proud of his service and was glad to have served on the winning side. When we were little kids, we would say, “Daddy, tell us a story about when you were in the war.” He never told us about the harsh realities or the ugly parts of the war. He would tell us about having to peel hundreds of pounds of potatoes when he was on kitchen duty, of the fun of driving motorcycles and jeeps when he was stationed in England, and always concluded his “war adventure stories” in the same way: “But, thank God, the best part is that we won!” After his death, I learned from one of my uncles that he did see active combat duty. I am thankful that he didn’t allow his experiences to make him bitter or full of hate, but instead chose to remember the important fact: in the end, freedom won out and he did his part to make it happen.
I envision a day when my grandchildren are grown, when abortion is outlawed, and they might say to me, “Grandma, tell us a story about when you were in the war.” I’ll remind them of the fun they had when they came with me to the Walk For Life, I’ll tell them about the banquets when I met famous people like Rick Santorum and Dr. Tony Evans and I will show them pictures of the fancy dresses I wore, and I will always conclude with “But, thank God, the best part is that we won!”
Whether the victory for life comes this side of Heaven or not, I have the certainty that my Heavenly Father wins in the end. I owe it to these four very special little ones to stay in the fight while I still have breath.
Is there someone in your life who inspires you to sign up for active duty? We really need your help.Will you give, will you pray, will you volunteer?
About the Author: Nancy McDonald served as a board member of Hope Women’s Centers for 10 years until she joined the staff in 2000. Today she serves as the organization’s President/CEO and is more passionate than ever about helping women choose life!
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