Who You Are: A Message to All Women

Wow.

I watched this video for the first time today.  And may I say that every, single woman out there ought to see this.

Specifically, if you are a mother, if you are pregnant, if you are unsure, insecure, wondering, wandering, wanting to know who you are and how or if you can go on – watch this.

If you find yourself in an unplanned pregnancy, know that you are part of a community of those who can. You are part of a steady stream of women – and even girls – who have gone before you, who have done this. One of the most famous women with an “unplanned pregnancy” is mentioned in this video.  And her Son made history.

Women need to be told these things. We are women. We are strong. We are capable. We are ready. We are able. We are all these things for ourselves and for our children. And, in fact, we were created that way; we were this way in our mothers’ wombs. Why? How can this be? It has all been made possible for us by One Who gave His life that we might live. On the cross, Christ won every battle that ever had been and was ever to be waged. The battles are already over, and they’ve been won.  We must only choose to accept Him and the victories He has won on our behalf.

Because of Him, you can do this. I can do this. We can all do this.  And when we feel weak, when we feel like it’s too much to go on, let us choose to reach out to the people around us who have been given strength for our moment.  Of course, call upon Jesus, and He will be there.  But also, also, call out for the help of the people He has created.

Call here.

Or here.

Here.

Or even here.

If you are in an unplanned pregnancy, a difficult pregnancy, or suffering after an abortion, call those numbers and get the help you need.  Help is within reach.  You are not alone, and you are awesome.

Ready to Quit?

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Sometimes quitting sounds so good.  I mean, honestly, do you ever feel like you want to quit?  I know I’ve felt that way.  No matter how much I believe that unborn babies—and all human beings—are worth fighting for, it can seem too hard some days.  It sounds a whole lot easier to just lay down this burden we carry and let another take it up.  It would feel so nice to forget about all the evil we’re trying to stop.

Or would it?  Would we really feel good if we left the voiceless innocent in the dust?  We’re not just fighting for a good cause here.  We’re fighting for people who literally cannot stand up for themselves.  If we go away, they have no hope.  They can never speak up and protect themselves.

We cannot quit.  We cannot end our efforts.  It’s ok to admit discouragement, disappointment, and hardships.  It’s ok to feel overwhelmed.  But it’s not ok to give up or quit.  Too many lives depend on our commitment.

Still, a resigned attitude—Ok, ok, I guess I’m in this to stay because I have to be—isn’t the kind of attitude our movement needs.  Trust me, I’ve questioned exactly what God is doing before.  I’ve wondered why He doesn’t hurry up and end abortion.  But I’ve learned that people blame God for way too many things.  People have a free will; we have a choice.  And sadly, too many people use their choices to keep abortion legal.

I’ve also learned that faith in God and faith in truth prevailing isn’t about expecting a certain outcome exactly when we decide that it’s essential.  True faith is recognizing that God does indeed have a plan.  The victory over death was already won on the cross, centuries ago.  Sometimes God doesn’t ask us to fight to achieve victory.  He asks us to fight as a test of who we really care about and Who we really follow.  He uses us to save lives—whether it be one or countless many—in the process.  And one day, abortion will end.  That is a surety.

I believe we will see abortion end in our lifetime.  I believe we will see death’s doors close and accept no more children.  I believe we will see life valued.  I believe we will see society welcome babies as the precious little ones they are.  I believe there is hope.  I believe in a God Who works miracles.  I believe.

I’d challenge you not to overlook how you truly feel inside about working on the pro-life issue.  If you are rearing to go and out-of-your-mind excited right now, that is AWESOME!!  We need people to feel like that!  If you never get discouraged because you’ve already learned what faith and hope are, hang on to them!

But, if you do occasionally question the length of this battle; if you wonder what will happen one day; if you are asking if you really have the strength to keep trying—examine your heart.  Find out why you are really fighting.  Remind yourself of the truth you believe.  And picture all the nameless unborn children who cannot utter a single sound in their own defense.  I know that you, like me, do not want to leave them behind.

Doubt, discouragement, and hopelessness will attempt to plague most of us.  But we have the choice to reject these monsters and send them back to the pit where they belong.  We can make the choice for hope.  We can choose Hope itself in Christ, Who first came to earth as an unseen unborn Child.  We can choose to believe.  We can choose the attitude of faith.

Doubt sees the obstacles,
Faith sees the way!

Doubt sees the darkest night,
Faith sees the day!

Doubt dreads to take a step,
Faith soars on high!

Doubt questions, “Who believes?”
Faith answers, “I!”

–Author Unknown

 

Winning the Battle or Choosing to Fight: Which is More Important?

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Of course, I’d say both are important!  The difference is that winning the battle really isn’t in our hands.  We can’t control the results of what we do.  But, no matter what…we CAN (and we must) choose to fight. 

What do you think?  Have you ever found personal victory in the midst of loss?  Would you be willing to share your experiences?

So many times in life—and in the pro-life battle—do we focus on winning; do we believe we will win, and center our hopes on that?  Perhaps our hope should be on Jesus alone, the Author and Finisher of our faith.  He is the Author—He writes the story, not us.  And He finishes the race, not us.  And yet, we are certainly called to run the race with endurance.  Another concept to ponder is that we do not live by our faith alone, but by “the faith of the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (See Hebrews 12:1-2 and Galatians 2:20.)    

Many times, we start well, but do we finish well?  Do we carry out our charge until the very end?  We have to give our heart’s passion and our life’s dreams over to the only One Who can finish well…and perhaps it is this realization alone that allows us to truly finish.  Otherwise, there will always be work left undone.  It is by allowing Him to be the Author and Finisher that we hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter now into thy rest.” 

Remember, too, that a servant often does the small things—the details—letting his master weave it into the finished project.  I am reminded of a short poem my mother wrote down as a young woman:  “God—He is He, and I, I am only I.”  How profound…

Of course, Christ has already won the victory…we only have yet to see it.  But perhaps our focus should be on the choice to fight the battle, not the hope to win it.  We do not lose that hope, but it is not our focus.  How true that we should do what is right, simply because it is right.  Love allows us to fight a battle and lose.  The order of faith, hope, and love—love is truly the end.  (I Corinthians 13)  It puts self away. 

It is when we lose ourselves and can say with King Arthur of Camelot, “There is no pride left in me” that we can fight no matter how many times we lose.  This is because we do it for love, not for hope or faith, and not for victory.  Faith allows us to believe that our Lord wins in the end; hope gives us that glimmer of our dream when we become weary (for we always know victory is somewhere around the corner); but faith allows us to keep on keeping on regardless of the visual outcome we see.  Time and time again.  Time and time again. 

 My life is but a weaving between my God and me,

I do not choose the colors He worketh steadily

Oft’times He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride

Forgets He sees the upper, and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent and shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful in the Skillful Weaver’s Hand

As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

by Benjamine Malachi Franklin

Footnote: Thanks goes to my Pastor, John Smith and the Dean of my college, Roger Magnuson for some of 
the thoughts here.