8th grade.
14 years old.
It
never gets old. Seeing such a young girl in such an adult situation is heavy,
to say the very least, but hearing her ask questions about getting an abortion
reaches to a deep place. “Where do we look to get an abortion?” “How much will
an abortion cost?” “Am I still early enough to get the abortion pill?” These
are the questions a fourteen year old girl is asking with tears streaming down
her face too quickly to be wiped away.
I
explained the scenarios for each decision in the possible pregnancy and asked
what she was thinking about it all. Words couldn’t even come out of her mouth.
Tears fell onto her school uniform, overcome. Finally she walked me through the
story that brought her into our doors, a story filled with betrayal, fear, and
statutory rape. I sat still, as she unloaded the weight of her burden onto my
shoulders.
By the hand of God,
the pregnancy test read negative.
These
are the stories we hear. Even now, a full week later, it’s overwhelming to me,
and I can’t help but think, “Is this overwhelming to God?” Is this Junior High
girl’s story as overwhelming to God as it is to me-God, who incessantly hears countless
stories like this one, and even worse ones? And again, a full week later, the
answer is a loud, resounding, “No!” He’s not overwhelmed. He’s not even
surprised, because the God we serve is calmly seated on His throne in Heaven,
lovingly listening to every painful moan of His children. When someone walks
away from Him, He’s seated. When someone plots against Him, He’s seated. No
action or thought from man or demon could stir the Almighty God from His
throne, because He is Sovereign. His face is not one of shock and awe. Instead,
to His children, His countenance is a never-changing face of approval and
acceptance. He’s not pacing. He’s not panicking. He’s not weeping, and He most
certainly is not overwhelmed when He hears the hurts of His saved, redeemed
sons and daughters. He’s only filled with love. Words cannot express His unwavering
compassion when He hears each and every story. I’ve concluded that human minds
cannot fully grasp the emotional strength of our seated, Sovereign God. He has
a plan, regardless of the pain.
Because
He can listen to every broken heart without Himself breaking, pray every day
that He gives us as client advocates the same emotional strength to show these
girls His unchanging love day in and day out, no matter their age, no matter their
life choices, and no matter how overwhelming their story may be. Pray Psalm 55:22 over our counseling doors: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be
moved.”
