To the woman in New York on the fence about abortion.

To the woman in New York on the fence about abortion,

The conservatives in the nation are in an uproar about the decision your state made this week. They have decided to give you the option to “choose” to abort your child for yet a longer percent of your term.

This isn’t new.

In the Old Testament, women were sacrificing their babies by throwing them into rivers in order to appease the gods.

Today, women sacrifice their babies in honor of women’s rights.

It was happening thousands of years ago and it is still happening today. It won’t be rendered right until the Lord comes back.

So here is what I’d like to tell you today. For this moment, don’t worry about the New York legislation or about the rights you have to choose from. I just want to sit with you right now in your living room as the tiny baby forms within you.

I know exactly how you feel today.

As a single, 27-year-old young professional, I read the same home pregnancy test you probably recently took.

Positive.

I too, fell face down on the living room floor of my 3^rd floor apartment. My arms were spread out to my sides in weighty desperation. I laid there, eyes, nose and mouth set upon the carpet, sobbing uncontrollably.

I’ve had the exact same thoughts you are having now. “What am I going to do? I don’t even know where to go. I don’t know whom to tell. No wait, I don’t want to tell. I don’t even really know how to peel myself up off the floor in this moment. How can I even think about telling someone right now?”

I’ve heard the same evil whisper, “You have options.”

I thought about my job, my church, my family, my friends. My whole life was going to change. All of those things are probably changing for you too with an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy. 

I’m sure you never imagined you’d be coming back from work to a silent home each night, bearing this burden alone. I know you never wanted to buy baby gifts by yourself, or go to doctor appointments without a spouse. I know you never dreamed of delivering a baby on your own in the delivery room. As a young girl you envisioned a husband holding your hand, right by the bed, quietly soothing you with every small breath.

I know, I did too.  

I know that malicious voice creeps into your mind often, “Options. Think about your options.”

I didn’t want anyone to know about this. You might not either. I didn’t want to tell anyone. You might not either. I didn’t want any of this to be public. I wanted to fix it. I wanted it all to just go away. You might also.

The darkness continued to grow louder, “Lauren, you are right. You are the only one who knows about this. You can take care of this and no one will ever find out. You can keep this whole thing a secret forever. No one will know. Your life doesn't have to change at all.”

I’ve heard the horrific murmurs. I’ve felt the false sense of safety they bring in their initial expressing. You have probably felt all of this too.

My friend, I beg you to hear me on this.

All of those murmurs are out to steal, kill and destroy you.

I don’t make definitive statements very often, but I can promise you this:

You will never regret having your child.

It isn’t in you. It isn’t how you have been designed. It is mysterious, but something supernatural happens to a woman when she has a baby. (Not just women with husbands or women with wealth or women with huge support groups, but any woman who has a baby). It unleashes this incredible, passionate piece of you that was always there, but you never knew it existed until you became a mother. This child is a gift.

Am I saying your circumstance will be easy? No.

Was mine difficult?  Unequivocally yes.

Was it demanding? At times it seemed more than I could bear.

Was it the most emotional and dire situation I’ve ever had to walk through?  Sometimes I don’t even have the words to describe it.

So to you my friend, the woman deciding whether or not to abort her baby…Yes, your state will allow this and there will be no legal repercussion nor will there be any judgment from the crowd.  

Hear me through on this, for this is what the government of New York isn’t telling you:

You are not here by accident. You are not in this situation by chance. God has not forgotten about you. He has not overlooked you. You have not been ignored, disregarded or unnoticed. He has been at your side your entire life. Whether you made this decision on your own or it happened to you out of your control, He was there. You did not create this baby, He did. Nothing is made outside of His hands.

This child is not here by accident. He planned this life. This small, unborn life has a disposition, a personality, a will, a temperament, a beautiful exquisiteness, and a purpose.  No other person has ever had the same qualities. You have the privilege of sharing in that. Psalm 139 is explicitly clear. He has woven this child together with His hands. This baby, no matter the circumstance, is not a mishap, nor were any errors made during his/her creation. Your child has been flawlessly made, down to every eyelash, eyebrow, fingernail, knuckle, joint, bone, muscle, skin, every piece of hair and every premeditated cell.  Your child’s body, mind and soul were seamlessly woven together by the Creator, perfectly. The world or the government might tell you otherwise, as sometimes they see brokenness, but our God doesn’t make anything broken. His design is always unblemished and unspoiled.  

You will be prepared for this; you will know what to do. You will be equipped. For some wonderful reason, God chose to create this small life within you. Even if you think you aren’t ready, another family will be. God will provide. He always does.

From one voice, one woman who has been there, I’ve seen the two red lines. I’ve felt the pain of the unknown. I’ve heard the utterance in my ear of my options. I’ve been through the anxiety of raising a small little life on my own. I have felt the worry of financial burden. I have felt the sting of loneliness from 8 years of single motherhood. I have been there and I can tell you this:

You will never regret choosing life.

Stand firm. I am with you and I am for you. The God I serve is with you and He is for you. Make the courageous decision.

From someone who knows you’ll never regret it,

Lauren