11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
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In Colossians 3, we can read a powerful picture of the forgiveness of God, which has been not only extended toward us, but can be activated in order to forgive others. The passage states:
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
In this broken world, we know that sin has the potential to not only affect the one who commits the act of disobedience, but others as well. The act of taking the life of another can certainly impact the one whose life is taken, produces guilt, remorse, and punishment in the life of the one who committed the act, and families and the culture at large could be affected, as well.
In an abortion, the act does not merely affect the mother, who may be exercising what activists say is a "my body, my choice" demonstration, but the mother's family and those who come in contact with her may be impacted as well. And, certainly we know that a baby will not have the opportunity to live.
That is, more often than not. But, did you know that there are babies who survive abortion, and while they have experienced physical, and perhaps emotional wounds, they can still recognize that God has a purpose for them. They are victims, yes, but they also have a chance to live.
Recently, the first retreat of the Abortion Survivors Network occurred in Texas.
CBNNews.com reported on comments by attendees:
Karen, a 76-year-old survivor, told LiveAction it was a "safe place to share our stories for healing to take place" and that she was grateful for the "camaraderie, mutual love, and connection" that she felt.
"Sitting in a room full of people I just met, I have never felt more like I belonged. I am not alone in my struggles. There was a whole room that echoed, 'me too.' That was healing for me," said abortion survivor Denisha.
An Instagram post by the Network stated, "Most of these women have never shared their story publicly or shown the world their face. Why? There's a million reasons why, but what matters is that they found a place where they belong..." According to the CBN article, " The retreat focused on the topics of forgiveness, identity, and coping with the trauma of surviving an abortion."
Melissa Ohden, who has been a guest on The Meeting House and spoke at the First Choice Women's Health Center banquet several years ago, is the founder of the Network, and she commented on CBN's FaithNation on her mother's attempt to take her life through a saline abortion. She said, "Forty-three years ago, my birth mother Ruth was forced to have a saline infusion abortion." The article quotes her as saying:
"They couldn't successfully induce Ruth's labor and so on the fifth day when they finally did succeed, they believed that I would be born as a successful abortion, just delivered as a deceased child. And that's the day I was accidentally born alive," she explained.
The article relates:
And she recently testified against the Women's Health Protection Act during a congressional hearing. The bill would allow abortion all the way up until birth, use money from taxpayers, and remove restrictions on abortion even after a fetus is deemed viable.
Her personal testimony is found at the Abortion Survivors Network website. It opens up by saying:
Now a mother, herself, Melissa Ohden has experienced first-hand what she calls the “intergenerational impact of abortion.” The reality is that abortion doesn’t just impact a woman’s life; it ends a child’s life. It forever changes the lives of everyone it touches, including women, men, extended family members, friends, and our communities.
Life can hurt sometimes, and there are wounds we carry - some are completely healed; others stay with us. Regardless, God walks with us through our times of hurt and sadness. And, His presence can produce joy as we walk through His intended healing process.
Melissa Ohden is an inspiration - according to a Focus on the Family article, she learned that she was an abortion survivor when she was 14 years old. She searched for her birth mother and eventually found her, as well as other relatives. It was obviously an incredibly freeing experience for her. She writes:
No one but God could rewrite the narrative that began 40 years ago when my birth mother was pressured to have an abortion.
No one but God could bring about good in the midst of the suffering we have all experienced over the past four decades.
No one but God could unite us with the power of unconditional love and forgiveness.
Truly, what man intends for evil in our lives, God can use for good (Genesis 50:20). Continue to trust in Him, and I am confident that He will work His plans in your life.
Through the power of God's forgiveness, He will write a new story for our lives. The pains of the past can propel us to a new sense of purpose and belonging in Christ. We can rise from and above the wounds we have experienced - once they are identified, we can be confident in God that He is able to work in our hearts and bring forth fruit to His glory.
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