Many churches try to bring support to local pregnancy centers around the Mother's Day holiday. Some churches hands out baby bottles for folks to fill with change/money and return on Father's Day. While this campaign is pretty successful in raising funds and I have participated, I cannot help but feel a rush of grief every time I see the mounds of baby bottles and hear the announcements that follow. Sometimes friends, I just want to walk up to the front, gently take the microphone from the person making the announcements and talk about the HOPE and HEALING available to women who have suffered from the abortions they have had. I DON'T do this, but it's getting harder and harder not to.
Please do not hear me as criticizing the church. I am not. I know some churches have healing ministries in their church, some refer out, some don't. Regardless, we can all share the message of hope! I am appealing to church leadership who does not currently address this head on to do so, to bring this out of the shadows into the light, so the women in our churches can heal and/or help others heal.
I believe we have an opportunity as the Body of Christ to acknowledge the women in our congregations that suffer in silence as post abortive women. I was one of them, and although I'm well along in my healing journey, sadly that's not the case for many Christian women today.
We have been told that the murdering of our babies through abortion has been covered by the blood of Christ, and that is true, yet, it doesn't help the woman heal her soul. The very place the pain is often hidden and avoided at all costs. We can do more!
I've learned that the women who proclaim the loudest, refusing to talk about their abortion(s) saying it's in the past and under the blood, that they are forgiven and healed are usually the ones hurting the most. That was me. Some never say anything or ever acknowledge it happened. Some women occupying the pews of the local Christian church that have had an abortion(s), never tell another soul.
There are effective and post abortive healing ministries in both the Catholic and Protestant churches all across America, but if we are silent or vague about them, our sisters in Christ may never know the healing support and services available to them.
After speaking at a Pregnancy Banquet in the Spring of 2018, a church Pastor who heard me speaking asked me to be their 2018 Mother's Day Service Speaker. This invitation blew my mind. They knew my story and were convinced it was perfect for that day! I remember being both honored and terrified to share my story, not wanting to ruin Mother's Day for anyone. The Pastors of this Church were right, it was as God wanted. How many churches are as brave or obedient? I don't know, but I know the Fire of God would fall more often if we went after the tough stuff, to see people healed, set free and made whole in their souls.
My journey to healing was a process. For the first 8 years of my Christian walk, I never heard about post abortive healing. When I did in 2011, it angered me deeply and stirred up feelings in my soul I had no idea how to manage. During that next year 2012, God was using people, by placing them strategically in my life to open the door to this healing for me. It was anything but easy, but it was a lot easier than living as I had, buried in shame, acting healed and whole. Don't get me wrong, I had already experienced so many areas of deliverance and healing that I knew GOD could and wanted to heal me, I was just afraid to face the reality of my choices.
The question that swirled in my mind anytime I did think of my babies I aborted, was how can I grieve a child I murdered? We can believe that because of the atrocity of abortion that we self-inflicted; that we deserve the hell we suffer and some would join us in agreement, but that's not the truth.
In retrospect, I needed those almost 8 years of healing, deliverance and gaining testimony to be prepared for the season ahead. God knows best; both the method and timing, but we as the Body of Christ are called and must be prepared to help. If we want to change the culture of death in America, the first place to start is with women who have had abortions and now follow Jesus Christ. Who better to speak to women considering abortion than other women who have had an abortion?
If you need healing or know someone who does, please encourage them to reach out to me. I'd be honored to chat with them and make referrals to healing ministries in their area!
Love,
Tammi
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