Working
late into the afternoon, the phone at my desk rang. A mother was on the other
line. After speaking for just a few seconds, she made it clear that she wanted
only to schedule an abortion for her 17 year old daughter’s unplanned
pregnancy, assuming we were an abortion clinic. Knowing I needed to choose my
words very carefully, I assured her that we are not an abortion clinic, nor do
we give referrals to abortion clinics, but I can schedule a counseling appointment for her daughter: “In an
appointment, we will explain the process and facts of abortion, so your
daughter understands the procedure. Through this appointment, we will then be
able to schedule your daughter for a free sonogram on Thursday. This will
determine the exact age of the pregnancy, which will determine the cost of an
abortion.” The further along a woman’s pregnancy is, the more expensive an
abortion will be. Her mother took my logical argument for an appointment with
us and scheduled it for the next morning, admitting to me that she herself
wanted her daughter to get an abortion.
I had
18 hours until the appointment
18 hours to pray for Krystal.
She arrived at our door promptly at
10:00 am that Tuesday morning, with her ex-boyfriend at her side. Recognizing
her name, I took her back into the counseling room, trusting God to give me the
words. She explained every reason why she wanted “to terminate the pregnancy”:
1) She already had a one and a half
year old son with this ex-boyfriend.
2) She would have no one to watch
the kids while she was in school.
3) Her Medicaid is about to end.
4) She’s just too afraid to have
another baby at just seventeen years old.
In the society in which we live
today in 2012, these reasons are accepted as justifiable for abortion.
Thankfully, the Kingdom doesn’t work with the same rules as the world.
Before anything else, I shared the
truth of abortion, the option she was solely considering. To her unknowing ears, I laid out the risks
and the extreme dangers of abortion. Even more, I confronted Planned Parenthood’s
lies on their own website, which she had visited. I did my best to answer every
question and worry she confessed about the abortion procedure.
After the logistics of the
appointment, I then shared the greatest support she could ever have. I shared
the redemptive Gospel of Christ Jesus and his personal, attentive love.
1) He will hold her oldest son within
the palm of His hand.
2) He will provide the care for
both of her children.
3) He will fill every gap earthly
resources leave open.
4) He will surround her with
perpetual and unwavering peace, approval, and strength
to raise this new baby.
She soaked up every word.
The test read positive.
I offered the sonogram, again
reminding her that this will give her the exact age of her pregnancy. She
quietly agreed to this second appointment. She told me that now, “I just don’t
know what to do.” I scheduled her for that coming Thursday at 10:00 am.
I had 2 days until the appointment.
2 days to pray for Krystal.
Thursday morning, she came with
the baby's father, and waited in our waiting room. Our sonographer, Mikelle,
called to warn us that she would be late for that 10 o’clock appointment.
Seeing the apprehension in Krystal’s eyes, I sat with her in the waiting room,
talking for 45 minutes as we waited for Mikelle. Without realizing, I became
more than her counselor. I was the only friend who would listen. Finally,
Mikelle arrived! Krystal asked her ex-boyfriend if he wanted to be her support,
her witness in the sonogram room. He quietly said “no”. She looked up at me,
and chose me to go in with her!
Of all the sonograms
I have seen, this was by far the clearest of the clear. Krystal could see every
part of the growing baby! The head, the feet, the arms! She even noticed the
size of the toes, remarking that her feet have the very same form! Mikelle
played the heartbeat: perfection. Krystal’s face lit up when she heard the
sound. I led her to the counseling room to talk to Mikelle after it was over,
and I asked how she was feeling about the pregnancy now.
"Now that I've
seen him, I think I want to change my mind."
A week later, both
Mikelle and I followed up with Krystal. To be honest, we wanted to know if she
went to Planned Parenthood anyway. Our lack of faith was revealed. Krystal
shared that she chose life for her baby! Since her visit here, she talked with
her family and is now under a doctor’s care. Pray for her as she lives out her
decision. Pray for constant reassurances and unwavering support.
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was
completely calm. -Matthew 8:26
In our moment of “What’s
going to happen?”, Christ, our Warrior and our Defender, got up, rebuked the opposition,
and calmed sweet Krystal’s heart.
This is our King.
