Several times each week a young woman, her boyfriend, friend or her mother will call asking how much we charge for an abortion. During the course of the conversation we always tell the caller that we don’t advocate, counsel, refer, or provide abortions. Our objective is to have her, her parent, boyfriend, or husband come to the center so that we can empower them with information about the pregnancy, fetal development and the risks and complications of abortion. Usually, they are “looking for an abortionist” and they won’t come in, but that doesn’t stop us from providing vital information about their situation.
Unfortunately, most of these women hang up. However, just recently I received a call from a young woman who was adamant about needing to terminate her pregnancy. She seemed to be determined to overcome every positive recommendation I gave her. Her primary concern was financial; she couldn’t see how she could afford another child. I talked to her for about thirty minutes and at the end of the conversation gently reminded her that some of the most rewarding things in life come after great difficulty. If we wait until everything is perfect we may never achieve anything; if we never challenge ourselves, we’ll never know how successful we can be. I hung up the phone not knowing what would happen. Two days later she called back and eventually came to the center. She said she realized that challenges in life do give us an opportunity to grow and mature. She had a relative who exemplified what I told her and who had a great impact on her. Thank God for His grace and mercy and His ability to change lives.
