A few days ago, I met a woman. She was the friend of a friend, and she seemed troubled, so I invited her to my home for coffee, hoping that I might be able to help her with what was troubling her. As we talked, the story came out. She told me she had heard my testimony. How I was molested by my stepfather, gave birth at 13, and fought my way through school. She also knew that I was now happily married, with a beautiful family, and am currently working on furthering my education. She wanted to know how I did it.
She told me her story, and in many ways, she was me. She, too, was molested by her stepfather, and became pregnant at 13. She got out of that situation, but chose to abort her child. After her abortion, she fell into drugs and partying in an attempt to forget her past. She had multiple children with different men, and never found her self-worth. She has not been able to develop a healthy relationship, and is terrified of men. She never forgave, and she never forgot.
“How did you do it?”
For a moment, I struggled with how to best answer, and then I knew. The answer was so very, very simple. It wasn’t that I chose life over abortion (although it helped). It wasn’t that I was stronger, or special in any way. It wasn’t that I had more support, or an easier life. The answer was simply…Christ.
I did it through Christ, and Christ alone.
It was His grace and mercy that got me through all that I endured. It wasn’t that I didn’t do drugs or party like she did. It wasn’t that I had poor relationships, I did. But, Christ used those to bring me to Him. While I can never forget, I have been able to forgive. But I could only do that through Christ. He is the difference between where I am now, and were she is.
Friends, I’m afraid most are unaware of how extremely vital it is to share the love and forgiveness of Christ with a girl in this situation. I cannot emphasize this enough. And it is not enough to simply love on her, you must share with her salvation! She must understand her need for repentance, that she is also among the worst of sinners, and that she has a Great, and Mighty Savior. A Savior who died, just for her, and who rose again on the third day to redeem her from her sins. One who loves her enough to want her by His side for eternity. For what does it matter if her life is saved, when her very soul is lost?
Ponder for a moment, why the life of her child is so important. Is it not because that precious child is made in the image of God? Isn’t that why, of all God’s creation, the human race is so valuable? Without an understanding of why her child has value, why she herself has value, what reason does she have to fight?
I have recently found myself neglecting to share this important truth. Nothing else, no number of babies saved, no number of mothers turned back, matters if Christ is not proclaimed. He is our Rock. He is our Redeemer. It cannot be overstated that these young women need that Rock and Redeemer more at that dark point in their life than any other. Our message must be Christ, and Christ alone. That’s what really saves a victim and is the most powerful help for victims.
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” –Jesus (Mark 8:36 NASB)
Anna Richey, a servant of Christ, is a speaker, singer, and mother fighting for the rights of other rape conceived children, as well as her own child conceived in rape when she was 13. As a Board member for Choices4Life, God has used her voice to prove the strength He gives mothers even in their teen years. She is also the Director of the Abolitionist Society of Kalispell, MT, sharing the Gospel, and compelling people everywhere to have no exceptions for abortion because all are made in the image of God. Anna’s Blog