Do Something!

One of the biggest issues that I feel hopeless about is the whole abortion industry. I have thought a lot about this issue and it is something I feel very strongly about. I blogged about it earlier this year so click here to read more on about that.

I think that it is so hard because I feel a couple extremes about the whole thing. One being angry. It makes me so incredibly angry that the lawmakers allow it to be legal, there are doctors willing to carry it out, and there are mothers who allow someone to kill their babies. It makes me angry that there is so much misinformation and that people are uninformed. I also struggle with a profound sense of sadness. It is so tragic that literally millions of babies have never seen the light of day. They never will grow up to be people who can make a difference in the world. They never will be able to make any choices, because someone "chose" to kill them. They didn't do anything wrong, they never even got a chance. I also think it is so sad that there are so many women and men who have to live the rest of their lives with the physical and emotional ramifications of their actions. It isn't better for the mother, it isn't better for the baby. Abortion hurts every single person involved.

So for a long time I have chosen not to think about it, not so much because I didn't know what I thought but because my thoughts were too hard to deal with. I don't enjoy being sad or angry, so I choose not to think about. But over the last few years God has been working in my heart and I don't feel as if I can stay quite or passive. Staying self-involved and ignoring what is going on helps no one. Nothing is going to change if people don't do something.

So what am I going to do? At a conference in February I met a man who is on the board of Alternatives Women Center in Escondido (about a 25 min drive from my house). I ended up crying in the hallway as I talked to him, which of course is a great way to make a first impression. :) He arranged for Gunnar and I to go down and take a tour of the facility.

The women that work there were so kind and gracious. The kind of women that I would want to talk to if I were in trouble and scared. They have an ultrasound machine, which is a great resource as women who actually see their unborn baby are less likely to have an abortion. I was so encouraged to talk to these people who are actually doing something! They have such a heart for hurting women and for the babies they are carrying (or have carried, they do post-abortion counseling as well).

It also was so nice to talk to them and to actually have a way to do something. I can channel that energy into making a difference. By supporting them, I help them help girls make the right choices. Because of them, and people like them, women are changing their minds, and allowing their babies to live. It really is a life or death descition. A lot of babies will be put up for adoption and children will grow up with parents who love them and have wanted a baby for years. (Don't even get me started on how wonderful I think adoption is).

They have an annual walk for life to raise money for what they do. They don't charge anything for their services and donations are the only way they are able to do what they do.

The walk is May 31st and Gunnar and I have decided to take part. My sisters are also coming up to walk with us as well. We need sponsors, so if it is something you are interested in supporting please let me know. If you haven't already noticed, it is something I believe in very strongly and I am always willing to talk about. If you need more facts or are not sure what you think about this issue, I would love to talk to you about it more.

If you are interested in sponsoring, you can do that online, (please put my name in the box at the bottom as the person you are sponsoring) . You can also use any traditional methods of such as the good old fashion mail or handing me a check next time you see me. :) As I mentioned, my sisters (Maria and my sister-in-law Ann) are also walking, so if you see them more often than you see me, you can give sponsor them as it goes to the same place. :)

Most importantly, pray. That girls would go to places like Alternatives instead of Planned Parenthood. Most of all that they would find Christ and make the right choices.