I prayed often for deliverance from the pain caused by my decision to abort my baby. I suffered the threat of cervical and breast cancer and experienced the pain of empty arms after the baby was gone. And truly, for me, and countless abortive mothers, nothing on earth can fully restore what has been lost; only Jesus can. ~ Dr. Alveda King (niece of MLK, Jr.)
There was another lady who came into a saving knowledge of Jesus in July of 1995. Her name was Norma McCorvey. You may know her by another name – Jane Roe of the infamous Roe v Wade case that ushered in abortion on demand in this nation. When I met her, we were both newborn babes in Christ. Just months before, she had been working in the abortion clinic that was adjacent to Operation Rescue National’s office in Dallas, TX. We shared a wall. Because we had offices in the complex, we were able to walk up to the front door of A Choice for Women and speak to the ladies sitting in the waiting room.
We offered to help the women in the clinic. We let them know we could take them to a doctor that would help them for free. We also could take them to a Crisis Pregnancy Center that would assist them in setting up financial assistance. And, we told them that Jesus truly loved them and would help them through their entire journey if they would but put their trust in him.
This is an excerpt from my memoir book that will be re-released in a few months:
The short version of Norma’s conversion is that as the pro-life counselors stood outside of the abortion clinic each day to be a witness, Norma would call the cops. She would make up lies and have them arrested if possible, but they would just return and tell her that they loved her. Workers from the abortion mill were being saved at such an alarming rate that the abortionist made anyone who worked in his clinic sign an agreement saying that they would not have any conversations with the pro-lifers.
Something was happening to Norma as well. She began talking to some of the girls seeking appointments at the clinic about keeping their babies. She even told them that the pro-lifers next door were there to help them. Within a few months, she began to hear children crying in the office. She would look down the halls but couldn’t find them. The weight of what she had been a part of was crashing in around her, but God in his mercy had sent his people to tell her that he loved her and wanted to heal her. She ended up being baptized in a swimming pool by ORN’s director Flip Benham and working with the very people that she had considered her enemies just months before.
Norma spent the rest of her life speaking up for the unborn. Although truly a changed person, she never got over the shame of being used to usher in legalized abortion. So many people prayed for her to understand that Jesus paid the full penalty of her sin and that he did not want her to carry it anymore – but she never found that kind of deliverance.
I met Dr. Alveda King, too. She was a guest speaker at one of our national events and came to several others. She is a joyful lady who radiates the goodness of God. She also has a national platform to speak up for the unborn. And when you meet her, you know that she truly found the fullness of her deliverance – and she freely offers it to others.
The abortion debate takes on many forms in America. It’s easy to get caught up in simply choosing sides, but what I took away from my years in pro-life ministry is that the severity of the spiritual implications of abortion affect us all – no matter what position you choose. I am also very aware of the humanity of the people involved and the deep shame that most live with when choosing to partner with the lie of abortion.
Below is a link to a poem that Norma wrote entitled “Empty Playgrounds.” Norma has since gone home to be with the Lord. She no longer carries the weight of her shame. If I could say anything to those grappling with the many facets of abortion that has been highlighted through the recent New York law, it’s this: With Jesus, shame never has the last word! If you need help in overcoming the shame of abortion, reach out to someone who can pray with you. Please don’t hesitate to email me if you don’t know where to turn.
“Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Psalm 34:5.
AMEN