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If a woman or man came to you and asked you for help dealing with the pain of their abortion, what would you say?
The other day there was a meek knock on my office door. It was Julie, a young, pretty, shy 20 year-old who works at our church. Her face was red and she was obviously very nervous. She cautiously peeked in and asked if I had a minute to talk. I invited her to sit down and said, “I always have time to talk!”
She burst out, “I had an abortion when I was sixteen and now I’m so afraid I won’t be able to have children later in life! God must hate me.”
I knew the depth of her fear, it’s common in post-abortive women, we feel God’s wrath will make itself apparent in the future.
She asked for help dealing with this dread she lived in and wanted to know if I could help her. “Yes,” I replied.
My question is this; if a woman or man came to you and asked you for help dealing with the pain of their abortion, what would you say?
Last year more than 65 men and women contacted me on-line to ask for help. And I believe there will be even more this year. As time goes on, I sense more and more people involved in abortions will begin to come forward seeking help.
Will you or your church be ready to help? And if you thought that reaching out to help post-abortive men and women could lower the number of abortions in this country would you reach out?
I firmly believe one strategy to end abortion that hasn’t been discussed enough is the idea of offering help to those who suffer after an abortion, thereby freeing them to finally say with first hand knowledge, “abortion hurts everyone involved.” For 18 years I remained silent on the issue, but now I am able to say “abortion is an awful solution to an unplanned pregnancy.”
Maybe, if you thought that reaching out to help those hurting from abortion would provide the opportunity to share the forgiving power of the Gospel, then you’d think about speaking out or reaching out?
Post abortion pain keeps us from a relationship with God. We fear His judgement, but we desperately want to be forgiven by Him and be able to forgive ourselves.
The National Church passed a resolution last summer calling for ‘Ministry to Men and Women Suffering Post-Abortive Stress,’ because NOEL helped them understand the negative impact abortion has on our spiritual life. Churches around the country are starting to develop ministries and outreach for those suffering in silence. Memorial services, Bible studies and one-on-one counseling are beginning to happen.
NOEL has produced two brochures to deal with post-abortion, one for lay people that provides educational information about PAS, and a second for clergy and counselors to help guide them through pastoral ministry. There is also a great book by David C. Reardon, Ph.D., called The Jericho Plan, (Acorn Books, Springfield, IL) which is designed for those who want to be proactive in offering emotional and spiritual healing after an abortion.
Please order these materials from NOEL and be prepared when someone comes knocking.
