She was brought to The HOPE Center by her Hope Mentor from a local church who called stating, “Her problems are so complex, I don’t even know where to start.”
Like so many of the precious clients of The HOPE Center, K’s problems were multifaceted. Her father died suddenly in April. She had a previous abortion; and then after his death, she got pregnant again. Tragically, that pregnancy ended in abortion, too. Her boyfriend is in jail but not the father of her baby. She had used drugs before she knew she was pregnant and was terrified that something would be wrong with the baby. She came to us confused, scared and in intense pain. She was extremely abortion minded, yet was entertaining the idea of adoption.
During our time together she vacillated between both options randomly. The ultrasound revealed a busy little baby. I saw delight on her face as she watched the baby dance, although her face would often cloud over with guilt. It is extremely difficult for a post-abortive woman to see undeniable evidence of life in their womb. After the ultrasound, we talked for a long time. She was stoic for most of our time together until I mentioned that she had been through a lot with the death of her father and the abortions. She began to cry. We all cried. As I held her, I was able to whisper that she was loved, that God would forgive, and that she could move on.
After many tears, she allowed me to pray for her baby. I encouraged her that I was proud of her. It took a lot to come to our office. It was a huge step for her. She looked at me with eyes that told it all. She didn’t feel proud, but it was nice to have someone pat her on the back. She left saying, “I don’t know what I will do. I am still considering abortion.”
We helped her with next steps—Medicaid instructions, adoption agency referrals, doctor referrals and an appointment to see a mentor in a week. I received a phone call from her Hope Mentor that she was so overwhelmed after talking to the adoption agency that she felt she could not handle the appointment with our mentor. She told me she still had not ruled out abortion. We prayed knowing she and her baby were still greatly at risk.
Today, several weeks later, I received a call from K. She is now 22 weeks along…having a baby girl. She had navigated the Medicaid process and had been to see her doctor. She said, “He told me he was proud of me. I have quit smoking and drinking. He said it was a normal pregnancy. The baby is ok!” She is working with a local adoption agency and is beginning the selection process for her baby’s family. She thanked me again and again for all of our help and for being there when she needed someone. She lives far from The HOPE Center, so I don’t think we will see her as a client, but I am so grateful that God allowed us to be there for her at such a pivotal point in her life.
I was listening to Andy Merritt on a CD from our most recent Care Net conference today. He spoke of being the heart of Christ to our clients. They need someone to love them, to hold them while they cry, to not flinch when their story are told, to love them in spite of where they have been and what they have done…just like Jesus does for us. It is a treasure to see God do such amazing things in the life of one so wounded. I look forward to the birth and adoption of her little one; but most of all, I look forward to the day when the pain in her eyes gives way to light as she is adopted into the family of God.