Living Stones Series: First Published in All Around Old Bridge Publication – August 2022

There is a wonder of life in the womb—the peaceful lullaby of a mother's voice, the first sensitivities to light, the sensory response to a hand caressing mama's belly. We stand in awe and marvel at the intimacy of creation—that a baby can already hear, see, touch, taste, and smell even before birth. Through the eyes of one child in the womb, a world of possibilities exists amongst a world of God-given potential.

On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, declaring that abortion is not a constitutional right. An already divided nation split once more with eruptions of both joy and anguish from the two polarized sides. The issue of "choice" versus life has turned into a politicized movement in that the pot is continuously being stirred with emotional outrage.

Some paint the picture that any unplanned pregnancy will result in child abuse and suicide—and any moralist pressuring a woman into having her baby is most despicable. Yet the ideology of eugenics (Margaret Sanger unashamedly promoted abortion to reduce the black population) reveals the racial component which led to three-quarters of abortion providers setting up shop nearby minority neighborhoods. Then add to that the powerful lobbyists behind this multi-billion-dollar state-supported venture regularly rousing the mob to chant, "My Body, My Choice!" As with many slogans from the crowd, the truth is often radically different. But that noise helps to drown out any honest inquiry and discussion, so the other side is demonized as if they don't care about women in crisis pregnancy situations.

And even on the pro-life side, some come with condemning slogans, graphic images, and angry rants. Yet many on both sides genuinely care for women in-between these two extremes—and that is where we should spend our emotional energy! Let's support those who step in to help women in these challenging situations so that all end up doing well—baby, mother, and father.

Why do most women who get an abortion feel they had no other choice? Why has "pro-choice" become only "one-choice" as abortion providers fail to show other options? At its roots, the abortion industry is a ministry of death, and we would do well to remember the life inside the womb and the woman feeling she has no other choice.

With the upheaval of the law on the federal level, now individual states are left with the decision to govern in the area of abortion. Those states choosing not to comply with the Supreme Court's decision will now be deemed "Sanctuary States," with New Jersey at the top of the list.

There's a lot of irony in that title. An animal sanctuary provides safety and protection for wildlife. In religion, a sanctuary is a place of worship, holy and sacred. And Websters additionally defines a sanctuary as "the protection from danger or a difficult situation provided by a safe place."

The sanctuary is supposed to be a safe place, yet a mother's womb is now the deadliest place on earth. Many pro-life people blame the woman, but when the man has no genuine care and is unsupportive, many women feel their only option is abortion. Let the father step in and affirm, "You'd be a great mom, and I will be here for you!" When the father of the unborn joins the mother on our mobile pregnancy unit, seeing the ultrasound and hearing that heartbeat, without fail all have said, “I am all in!” But if he does not, let us step in and commit to be there.

Many don't realize that women who have had abortions carry a heavy burden of grief, regret, and guilt they must fight through. Even when some pat them on the back and applaud them for their courageous decision to have an abortion, they know deep down inside that it was wrong. It was wrong, and they now wrestle with thoughts of how old their baby would be, what their baby would look like, and what their baby's purpose may have been.

Life always gives you way better options!

Dozens of women have sent us unsolicited pictures of their babies, thanking our Bridge Women's Center for being there when they felt they had no choice but to have an abortion—and now they have this beautiful baby instead! Choosing life means opportunities for others to come alongside the whole woman and to assist her. And even if a woman has had an abortion, an opportunity exists to come to grips with that, agree that it was wrong, and learn how God forgives those who acknowledge it.

The enemy of our souls wants to extinguish that life, hope, and purpose God has authored. We don't know what that baby may be, but that child is brimming with possibilities to solve, perhaps from the hand of God, many of the evils of our age. Give life a chance! Let’s be a real sanctuary for those in need!