A Story of Redemption

A woman walked in to one of our pregnancy centers and heard the truth about abortion, but ultimately the pressure from those she trusted most - especially her grandmother - proved too much for the 16 year old girl and she decided to have an abortion.

Afterwards she experienced much of the psychological damage and regret that pro-lifers would be familiar with; after the procedure she only dated other girls for a while, each year around what would have been a due date the feeling of regret intesifies, and she can't help but think of names that might have suited the little child that she ended up terminating.

Then 9 years after that initial visit she came back, but this time she wasn't the one that was pregnant.

She had brought a friend of hers into the same center she had been, and after finding out her story I immediately recognized how this may influence her pregnant friend to not make a similiar mistake. No doubt learning about the risks of abortion and fetal development pointed the pregnant woman in the right direction, but it was the heartfelt testimony of her friend who 9 years ago made a decision that she regrets to this day which encouraged the woman to choose life. This was also an oppurtunity to discuss post-abortive healing, which I'm sure the woman who needed it did not know existed.

This case truly encourages me; rarely have I experienced a 'failure' so tangibly turn into a success. This story should fortify the hope in all pro-lifers that never are our efforts in vain - even when they seem to be, and that suffering women who have experienced abortion can use their witness to help others choose life.