I ran out of the choir room in search for the girl who just shared her testimony. She was part of the team who came from surrounding areas of Houston. I had never laid eyes on her before but now I considered her my best friend.
“Hi, do you have a minute?” I asked fighting to catch my breath after weaving through the crowd of women in the hallway. I grabbed her arm and continued, “Seriously, I need to talk to you right now.”
“Sure, what’s on your mind?” I began to share my whole life story as fast as a hummingbird’s wings. She fell against the wall with a puzzled look as her body language shot me the message that I was telling her more than she needed to know. Taking a breath I finished with, “In other words…I had an abortion too.” I grabbed both of her shoulders and said, “You shared your testimony for me! Can I really be as free as you seem to be?”
She grabbed me into a tight embrace as if to secure our new sisterhood. “Yes, you can be totally free from continual shame and guilt by trusting that when you ask Jesus to forgive you…He really does.”
Her sincerity gave me hope. I followed up the weekend of the Lay Renewal by rededicating my life to the Lord. I practically ran down the aisle of our church on Sunday morning as my teal colored dress was soaked with warm tears. I wanted the forgiveness my new sister was confident of and I received it.
You see…I fell for a lie, in 1974, by listening to a message that announced I had every right to decide when to start my family. It was a smart decision to postpone motherhood, but what I didn’t hear was the decision would haunt me for the rest of my life. I had been had, but now I was healed.
“Don’t give any of your children to be burned in sacrifice to the god Molech—an act of sheer blasphemy of your God. I am GOD.” Leviticus 18:21 The Message
Be careful what the world tells you is right and good for you. Make sure you know how God feels before making a quick decision that could stay with you for a lifetime.
