“For God Works all things together f or good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Let me begin by saying, I do not want women to have to go to back alleys or do dangerous things.   I don’t want women to be hurt or to die.  Women in crisis should be given mercy, grace, support and love regardless of the decision they have to make.  If you are on this Council, a person of faith, or a person of the cloth, please choose faith.

In October of 1989 I was 15 years old.  I was a teenager, a sophomore college bound student, and ambitious.  A man twice my size came into my home and raped me.  My mom was working late and not knowing what to do I took a shower and tried to sleep.  Three weeks later I found out that I was pregnant.

I was terrified.  I was urged by several people to have an abortion. I can only tell you that I knew I would not have an abortion.  I knew that the child inside of me had a heartbeat.  God said, “Trust Me” and I did.   I walked around for 8 months confused, but trusting.  I spent a lot of time with my grandmother, who probably prayed thousands of rosaries for me, and I didn’t even know it.     

I threw up every morning for 3 months. I turned 16.  I got stretch marks on my then thin but growing body.  I was ridiculed at school and lost friends because I was a pregnant teenager.  I hurt but I trusted God, I had so many questions and I asked “Why God”.

In June of 1990 I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, born at 6:01 p.m. on a Friday evening.  She was 7 lbs 2 oz, dark curly hair, and the biggest feet anyone had ever seen on a baby.  She was a perfect gift from God.  Things were not easy and often messy.   I had no idea how to be a mother or change diapers.  When she was born, I didn’t even have diapers or formula.  I did not know that babies needed to be burped or that they sleep most of the time for the first month.     

I was terrified.  This beautiful baby girl is a miracle. There was never a point when God did not have what we needed.  There were always diapers and formula.  She never went hungry.  There is always love – from this community and my family.  There were and are hard lessons and beautiful lessons in the midst of it all.

I want you to hear this, not because I did something, but because God did something.  I want you to hear this story because if you are a pastor of a church or a city council member or a person of faith you should not be pushing abortion as a form of health care.  I promise you that the tiny being growing in the wombs of young and old mothers, is not a clump of cells, but a miracle waiting to happen. 

I am terrified. Every time you raise your fist and say “what if the woman is raped”, please know that my child hears this.  My beautiful, wonderful, intelligent 31-year-old daughter who is trying to start a family of her own is left to question whether she should exist at all.   So, I beg you to please keep our story out of your mouth, and believe me when I tell you God is Good. 

Standing outside of the history museum and shouting to vote for progressives when talking about the lives of women and children you show your lack of faith and frankly you are no longer advocating for women, but for your own selfish political gain. You show that you don’t trust God and you don’t trust women.  You must know that abortion not only ends the potential of a beautiful life – it physically, psychologically and spiritually damages women.   Abortion is not the solution.

Perhaps I am just fortunate enough to have come from a long line of strong, determined women, but that strong determination has to start with one woman, willing to listen when God whispers “Trust Me”.

This supreme court ruling has nothing to do with you and everything to do with a very difficult and violent personal decision that a woman in crisis has to make.  This is a battle between Good and Evil,  Evil  people will  twist the gospel like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

If you are interested in helping women and children please consider donating to WCIC’s Baby Shower. https://www.wcicfm.org/wcics-baby-shower/