I will never forget the first time I saw my daughter in grainy, black-and-white ultrasound. I was fifteen weeks pregnant. Tiny hands, little mouth chewing on her fingers, perfectly-formed toes, kicking legs... I was in love. And in awe. As a nurse married to a pro-life activist, images of preborn babies were nothing new to me. I could rattle off a list of facts a mile long about prenatal development. But when I saw HER, everything changed. She wasn’t a faceless, unknown entity whose kicks were yet un-felt in my abdomen. She was a little person, unique, distinct, yet undeniably connected to me.

And in seeing her, I suddenly saw the 3,300 other babies just like her who every day lose their lives to abortion in our country. Tiny, beautiful image-bearers of God who are daily, legally, ripped from their mothers’ wombs and dismembered. And I imagined the anguish of women who think that they have no better choice than this.

Since seeing my daughter on that sonogram, abortion breaks my heart in a new way. And if it breaks my heart, I can only imagine how heartbreaking it is to the God who knits all children together, and who loves their mamas, too. “For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother’s womb,” says Psalm 139:13.

January is Sanctity of Human Life month, and as Christian moms, we have a unique perspective: we know that children are blessings, not burdens. This issue should be especially dear to our hearts, since every woman who chooses abortion is a fellow mom. We have responsibility to “bring justice to the fatherless” (Isaiah 1:17), as well as to help mothers who are at risk for choosing abortion, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. Here are just a few ideas:

Give your time. Volunteer for pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations. Stand outside your local abortion clinic to pray for and counsel the mothers going in. Call your local and state representatives about abortion legislation to encourage them to vote pro-life.
Give your money. Support pro-life organizations financially.
Give a defense. Learn how to talk to people about the issue of abortion. I highly recommend Scott Klusendorf’s book The Case for Life to help you with this. And once you know how to give a good defense, give it! Speak up when the topic comes up. Start conversations on Facebook or join in when you hear the issue discussed. Don’t be afraid to defend the weakest members of our society.
Encourage your pastor to talk about this issue. Abortion is so pervasive in our society largely because the church has been silent. And sadly, statistically speaking, church-attending women have the same number of abortions as women who don’t go to church. Encourage your pastors and church leaders to speak up on behalf of the preborn and their mothers. Humbly and gently remind them of James 1:27: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” I can’t think of anyone more weak or needy than a preborn child who cannot speak for herself.

Finally, I think it’s important to mention that some of you reading this today have had an abortion, and you may be dealing with the aftermath of that choice. If you have had an abortion, know first that you are not alone. We all approach God as sinners (Romans 3:23). Secondly, know that God’s grace is great enough to cover your sin. John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You can find forgiveness, redemption, and healing at the Cross.

May we all, as we raise our own children, remember the mothers whose arms are empty and the little ones whose lives are lost through abortion, and may we do all we can to help them. For this is religion that our Father accepts.

Blessings,

Aubrie Drayer