Displaying items by tag: healing

by Michele Cheresnick, Affiliate Coordinator

Early in my pastoral ministry, I discovered Sanctity of Human Life Sunday almost by accident while searching for tools to start a women’s ministry in our church. I remember pausing and thinking, How have I missed this all these years? That moment would shape the way I view life, ministry, and healing.

At the time, I didn’t have the words for it, but something stirred in me. Sanctity of Human Life Sunday didn’t feel like a program or a cause. It felt personal. Sacred. It gave voice to something God had been shaping in my heart — a deep passion for life, dignity, and compassion, long before I ever served in pregnancy help.

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is usually observed on the third Sunday in January, around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. But it’s not meant to be political. It’s about a much deeper truth: 

Every human life is created in God’s image, known by Him, and worthy of care, protection, and love, from the very beginning and through every stage of life.

For me, this day became more than just a day of awareness. It became an invitation to healing. As I leaned into it, God gently nudged me to face my own story. 

Long before I ever walked alongside women in crisis, I was one of them. I carried the quiet weight of my own abortions. Experiences full of shame, fear, and silence. 

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday didn’t condemn me. It called me toward hope. 

It reminded me that Jesus isn’t just the author of life, He’s the Redeemer of broken stories.

And I know I’m not alone.

On Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, there are men and women sitting quietly in churches—worshiping, serving, listening—while carrying hidden grief and shame from past abortions. Some have held it for years, wrapped in silence and fear.

As leaders in pregnancy help, we get to hold them in our prayers, not with judgment, but with compassion, asking God to meet them with healing, restoration, and grace. 

Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” 

He sees what others cannot and longs to bring light into places of hidden pain.

But this day isn’t just about grief. It’s also a day to celebrate life, to recognize the sacredness in every person, and to proclaim the truth that each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). 

It’s a day to step into something meaningful, connecting with pastors, church families, neighbors, and friends, lifting up families in prayer, having real conversations about life, and celebrating the value of every person.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it’s not just for our ministries. It’s a simple, powerful way to take what we do in our own circles and share it with the wider community, reminding everyone, through our words, our actions, and our service, just how precious life really is.

Why does this matter to Jesus? 

Because life matters to Him. He came into the world vulnerable, born to a young woman who courageously said yes to God. He moved toward those overlooked. He healed the broken. He restored the shamed. 

And He gave His own life so we could experience forgiveness, freedom, and new life. “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

For me, Sanctity of Human Life Sunday marked the beginning of a journey toward healing, purpose, and a renewed commitment to honor every life. How might it inspire a new beginning in your story?