Yesterday was a chocolate cry day. As I typed, there were tears threatening to tumble from my eyes. Three Snickers wrappers sat next to my computer. They were as empty as I was.
I’m a tenderhearted person. I do my best to avoid sad animal stories, news reports about cruelty to the elderly, and documentaries about child abuse. I know it’s out there, and I’m committed to do whatever I can to prevent it, but I can’t know the details. They linger in my mind, haunt my nights, and, yes, bring about chocolate cry days.
This is why I’ve been diligently avoiding the Planned Parenthood videos. I understand the tragedy of abortion. I was nine years old when Roe v. Wade promised a new kind of reproductive freedom to women.
As an unsaved teenager, I bought the “progressive freedom” lie hook, line, and sinker. If I’d gotten pregnant out of wedlock like some of my friends did, I’d have driven down to the nearest abortion clinic, handed over my $350, and signed the paperwork to “fix my problem and get on with my life.” This makes me just as guilty as anyone who’s actually had an abortion, I think. Didn’t Jesus say if we commit sin in our hearts, we’re as guilty as if we’ve actually done the deed? You’ll never hear condemning words from me if you were deceived into having an abortion.
But today, while I was working on the Internet, there they were—horrible, graphic pictures of tiny little baby parts swimming in blood.
And my heart broke.
My heart broke for the young women.
Pregnant, scared women who have been lied to and deceived into thinking abortion will make their problems go away, when in reality their problems will have only just begun. No one tells them their abortions will haunt them every day of their lives. That they’ll see their babies’ faces everywhere they look. That they’ll track their children’s ages and imagine what they would have looked like at 3, at 5, at 13, at 18. That they’ll suffer guilt, depression, and shame.
And my heart broke for the babies.
Nearly 50 million babies aborted since Roe v Wade legalized abortion*. Stalin killed 4-10 million Russians, and they called him a murderer. Hitler killed nearly 10 million Europeans, and they called him the master of genocide. Doctors kill 50 million babies, and they call them women’s rights activists.
These babies were future fathers and mothers, teachers and nurses, scientists and Sunday school teachers. They were someone’s sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. They were tiny, perfect, beautiful people who died before they lived in what should have been the safest place in the world—their mothers’ wombs.
And then my heart broke for our world.
So sick and depraved that we murder our infants in the name of women’s rights and sell their body parts on the black market while the collective conscience looks the other way.
We do not deserve God’s mercy.
Yet he offers it freely.
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;” says the Lord, “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness” (Eze. 36:26-29).
Chocolate and tears won't save us. New legislation won't save us. Protests won't save us. Only God can save us—our nation, our families, our children, and the babies who have no voice but our own.
Father, I pray you will have mercy on our souls. Sweep across our nation with the power of your Holy Spirit. Break our hearts over our sin. Lead us to confess and repent. Remove our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh. Save us, Father, for you are our only hope.
In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
*http://cnsnews.com/news/article/nearly-50-million-abortions-have-been-performed-us-roe-v-wade-decision-legalized
Hi Lori. I also avoid those kinds of things. They tear me up inside. Partly because of what is going on and partly because I feel helpless and unable to do anything about it. You remind me here that although people are allowing terrible things to happen and doing terrible things, it is them we need to pray for too, and to not judge them, but have compassion for them. No, we do not deserve God's mercy, but I am so grateful He offers it despite ourselves. Great post lovely lady.
ReplyDeleteGod bless
Tracy
You're absolutely right, Tracy. As my pastor always said, "I can't earn it, I don't deserve it, but I'm infinitely grateful for it." Thanks for sharing your thoughts today.
DeleteLori,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a poignant message for today. Your words stirred something within me, so I wanted to thank you for being brave and putting this out there for everyone to read. My heart breaks for my country and the precious unborn. Thankfully, I imagine Heaven is full of babies and children where they are loved and held by Jesus Christ himself.
I, too, am comforted in knowing that those babies rest safely in the arms of Jesus. Thanks for commenting, Heather.
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