Posted on 06/15/2013 2:13:38 PM PDT by NYer
Sooo . . . Im 22, and Im a single mom, and I used to be that girl who got pregnant. After my crazy conversion story of scheduling an abortion, choosing life, choosing God, and choosing healing, I thought some of you might like an update as well as some insight on being pro-life. So, here it goes:
Yes, I chose life, and I gave birth to the most perfect little girl, AvaMarie Rose, on October 23, 2012 (right in the heart of Respect Life Month how perfect). She entered the world at 9:56 pm, weighing 6.8 lbs. and measuring 20 inches. She was, and still is, perfect in every way. I never knew how much I could love someone. It totally gives perspective on just how much God loves us.
I have been blessed with this beautiful girl, AvaMarie Rose, and I couldnt be more in love. She is a constant reminder of how great Gods love is and how precious life is. Ava is a variation of Eve which means life and Marie is a variation of Mary. So, it is pretty apparent why I chose to combine those to create her name. It is the perfect representation of her story. She represents a choice of life, and I could not have done so without Gods perfect love, and without Marys perfect example of how to say yes to life. Mary had an unplanned pregnancy too; she had a choice as well. AvaMaries middle name, Rose, is after my own middle name, but it is also a beautiful representation of how beauty comes from imperfection, like a thorn bush producing roses.
This experience has given me so many countless blessings. Now that AvaMarie is already 7 months old, I have had some time to reflect on everything. First, I need to thank every person who prayed for me. I cant tell you how much I felt your prayers covering me and protecting me throughout my entire journey. Because of your prayers and the support of my family and community, I was able to give birth to AvaMarie in October, graduate cum laude with my Bachelors in December, attend the FOCUS SEEK conference (with AvaMarie) in January, start working my job at the Pregnancy Resource Center in February, and now start pursuing my Masters in School Counseling this June. Thank you. . .from the bottom of my heart.
Second, after going through this journey and now working at a Pregnancy Resource Center, I would like to give a little insight into the pro-life movement. Protecting and defending life is an all-encompassing call. It is not just about the babies, it is about their mothers, their fathers, and their families. Yes, people need to speak for the unborn when they don’t have a voice, but if that is the primary focus, we are completely missing the mark.
I only realized this after going through my unplanned pregnancy.
Keep in mind, the mother is the one who ultimately decides the fate of her child, so if we aren’t pursuing the healing, and genuine interest of her life, then we are utterly failing.
When we only focus on saving the life of the baby, we fail to acknowledge something very important, and that is that the mother’s life needs to be saved, too. Did we already forget that the very women who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies and who are considering abortion are very broken, afraid, and alone? They need some serious, genuine love and healing. Quite frankly, when there is all this hollering for the babies, the woman in the crisis thinks she is forgotten. She thinks everyone just cares about the baby; no one cares about her.
She is desperately crying out, “No one cares about how traumatically my life has changed, no one cares about my future, no one cares about my dreams, and no one cares about helping me!”
We CANNOT forget about the mothers, fathers, and families of the unborn. They matter, too. They are the ones making decisions.
So how exactly can you be genuinely pro-life? I will speak on behalf of the mother, specifically, here.
I made a list of simple suggestions/ideas from the girl “who has been there” and as someone who works with these girls every day as an advisor at a Pregnancy Resource Center.
I know this seems entirely “mother focused” but imagine if we coupled these actions with the pro-life discussion about the baby. Women would stop getting abortions because they would know they are supported and loved!!! They would realize that choosing life is just as much about themas it is about the baby.
I’ve seen and experienced the FEAR of being judged and unloved as the primary factor in abortion. These tips would hopefully eliminate that fear.
If we are to fight for the unborn, we are to fight for the mothers just as much!
Im so thankful for all of those who fought for me. By saving me, you also saved my daughter, and we are eternally grateful.
Ping!
Wow, I choked up reading this story.
GLORY BE TO GOD!!
Thank you Raquel for that BEAUTIFUL story! May God continue to abundantly bless you for the testimony you are to His love and mercy and grace.
I appreciate her story, and that she chose life for her baby. I will get flamed, but here goes. Where is the dad? Are they going to get married? Is he involved in the baby’s life at all? Had she considered giving the baby up for adoption, assuming that she has chosen to struggle as a single mother?
I appreciate that she gave her baby life, but, what are the chances she will be just another single mother statistic?
Bless you and AvaMarie. Praise GOD from whom all blessings flow!
No flame here ... welcome to contemporary society! Today's youth are not only exposed to, but actively supported in having sex at an early age. Society no longer accepts any moral absolutes. One reaps what one sows. Fortunately, in this particular instance, the young woman chose life. Like many other children, this one will also grow up in a single parent family.
Yes, you make good points about contemporary society. I am grateful that she chose life for her baby, but was struck that she made no mention of the boyfriend or any role for him in the life of the baby. Unfortunately this is a social norm now.
And, sadly, it will grow worse. Several years ago, a young teen, conceived by a single woman through donor insemination, managed to find the donor's name. It is not unusual for adoptees (or donor children) to want to learn more about their biological parents. Good Morning America invited the young teen to "meet her father" on live tv. Excited, she agreed. The scenario was set up via telecommunications with a large monitor on the set. The young girl blushed as the video link was made and her "father" appeared, along with his wife and two young sons. The GMA hostette invited the young girl to pose her questions. The first one was: "Do you have large feet?" The man smiled as he admitted that indeed, he did have large feet. The young girl nodded in approval as the answer to how she came to have large feet was not answered. The questions and answers continued. Finally, the hostette asked the man: "Do you know if you have any other children from your "donations"? Once again the man smiled and acknowledged that, from what he had been told, there were more than 100 other children .... and, he hoped they did not plan on meeting him.
The effusive smile on that young girl's face, brought about by meeting her "dad", suddenly turned into a frown, as the reality of that statement struck home. She was no more important in his life than any of the other 99 children conceived through his sperm donations. Essentially, she was not "Daddy's little girl".
About ten years ago, British scientists realized that they could harvest eggs from aborted female fetuses. They viewed this as a response to infertility. Psychologists, at that time, tempered this discovery by recognizing that society was not yet emotionally prepared to deal with such a reproductive procedure. Imagine yourself as a teen, in search of your birth mother, only to learn that she had never been born. Ten years later, British scientists are now resurrecting this possibility, especially for homosexual couples.
Pope John XXVIII spoke against such methods EVANGELIUM VITAE. We must also speak out in defense of human life.
misty at the first line.
Should read "was now answered."
What a precious little soul! So happy for the mother that she had a real conversion experience and that there are no regrets. What a message of hope!
Well done, young lady!
One of my son-in-law’s friends recently became an unwed father. He’s an unabashed progressive and begged his GF to get an abortion but she refused. The baby was born last summer and shortly after that it was discovered that his GF had an intermittent drug problem that flared up again after the birth. She was eventually arrested and he is now the sole caretaker of his daughter.
He recently confessed to my daughter how grateful he was to her for supporting his GF in her decision to keep the baby. He cannot understand what he was thinking at the time because now he can’t imagine life without his little girl. He also thinks that if he was so wrong about abortion, he needs to start examining all of his other progressive ideas.
It’s amazing to see a liberal grow up before your very eyes, especially when life hits them in the face like a 2 x 4.
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