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Mar 3, 2010

Abortion

Snippets from my life experiences:

In 1946...my unmarried maternal grandmother and grandfather found themselves faced with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy. They kept the baby...my mother.

Approximately a decade later...my paternal grandmother was sent away to a mental institution for 7 years after a suicide attempt prompted by an unwanted abortion she was "forced" to have by her husband.  She turned on the gas and placed her head in the oven.

These stories were told as I was growing up..told in hushed tones when the adults got together...but told nevertheless and overheard by me.

We didn't "believe" in abortion in my family. We knew it was "wrong."

I grew up knowing that "we do not do that."

We weren't believers....so what did we base our convictions on? Were they really convictions....firmly planted and rooted deeply?

No.

Well, "yes" for us personally....maybe.

What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider's web.

Job 8:14


Somewhere in my early teen-aged years...we had a housekeeper who's daughter "was in trouble." She was desperate for "help." Our family doctor would not perform an abortion so she was sent to Planned Parenthood. My parents paid for the procedure.

Later on...a friend found herself in a frightening predicament. We took her (@ her parents request/they were overseas) to a pediatrician...who prescribed her a version of "the morning after" pill.

It could've easily been me. Easily.

We have a male family member who was devastated when his girlfriend at the time chose to terminate the life of the child they were carrying although he begged her not to.

And, I remember the moment when as a newly married wife I was filling out the paperwork for a D & C. "Spontaneous Abortion" is what they called my miscarriage. I was not pleased and said so w/ much emotion and much waiting room drama.

As a young believer.....I pleaded w/a girlfriend not to go ahead w/an abortion...I told her that if in fact that she did go through with it...that special permission would have to be made so that I could hold her hand all the way through because I did not want her to be alone. Happy ending......her child is fine :)

As a woman walking w/Christ for a bit of time...I'll never forget the dazed and confused sound of a certain young woman's voice (we've never actually met) as we spent hours upon hours of days upon days together on the phone...walking through her predicament in light of Scripture. One day, she stopped calling. According to her...she is a Christ follower ..........and I've heard via others that she ended her child's life without telling her husband and then divorced him. Crushing.

Snippets. As I process them.

There are more snippets.


My heart is heavy tonight for all who are affected by abortion. The children, the mothers & fathers. The family. The nurses and doctors. The friends.

2 comments:

David said...

In my late teens a wealthy, close friend who was fearful his parents would notice the money missing came to me and asked to borrow the money because his girl friend was in "trouble". Thinking at the time I was helping, I gifted the money to him. I will have that regret for the rest of my life adn through eternity...and so will he and the girl friend (that is now his wife).

David

familygregg said...

I'm so sad.