by Brooklyn Tizzano, Extend Web Services

When I was originally asked to share this devotional with you, I was over the moon! But it wasn’t much later when a question crept into my mind. “Why me?” Quite frankly, there are people who have been on their walk with Christ for longer than I’ve been alive. I didn’t believe I had anything relevant to offer them in a devotional at a mere 23 years old. 

Because of my hesitancy, I figured the only way to make up for how young and incapable I felt, was to come up with the BEST devotional anyone had ever heard. I wanted it to blow their minds. I wanted it to include every miracle the Bible ever listed. Water turning to wine, walking on water, blind men seeing, Jesus being raised from the dead. I was going to do it all. 

Eventually, I figured it would probably be wise to consider what God might want me to share. 

Nehemiah?

Over and over in my quiet time and in talking to my husband and family, the story of Nehemiah kept coming up. Nehemiah. I felt frustrated! Nehemiah isn’t good enough. Nehemiah doesn’t have any cool miracles or jaw dropping stories! I didn’t see how anything could be gained out of the story of Nehemiah. But through studying Nehemiah, I realized that maybe the miraculous doesn’t happen. But what does happen is that a group of people roll up their sleeves and get to work. I learned that when we are only looking for God in the big things, we will miss him in the small things. 

Our story starts with Nehemiah being in exile and he finds out the terrible condition of Jerusalem, specifically the gates and the wall around the city. Nehemiah decides that he’s going to do something about this. At the time, Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the king, and the king gave him permission to go rebuild the wall and gates, and he even gave him some practical equipment to get started (not unlike Life Launch!). 

Because no good story is complete without villains, in walks Tobiah, Sanballat and Geshem. These guys do not want Jerusalem rebuilt and they make it their mission to stop this from happening. As Nehemiah and his people progressed building the wall, their enemies got more and more angry. 

Have you been there? Excited for what God has called you to do and it feels like immediately you are met with pushback? Nehemiah 4:1 says “Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews.”...“Do they actually think they can make something out of stones from a rubbish heap–and charred ones at that?”

Do they actually think they can do this? We’ve probably heard this often!

• Do they actually think they can make a difference?
• Do they actually think they can save a life?
• Do they actually think they can counsel young parents?
• Do they actually…

Maybe you’re a lot like me and someone else sees that you’re capable of doing something, but you can’t see it…

• Do I actually think I can give a devotional at 23 years old?
• Do I actually think I can run a center?
• Do I actually think I can help these women and save their children?

Sometimes the enemy is very present and very tangible, and I know, especially with the culture right now, we have a very tangible enemy. But sometimes the enemy is in our head. Sometimes the enemy is what we are allowing ourselves to listen to and not what we know God has called us to.

Setting Up Guards

So what does Nehemiah do when he hears the things they’re saying? He sets up armed guards. Specifically, Nehemiah 4:13 tells us, “behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places.” 

Why does he set up armed guards? Because he realizes that if he isn’t taking the necessary precautions to prepare for the plan God has laid out for him, he might miss his miracle. I don’t believe God uses perfect people. I believe he uses people who are present and prepared. Nehemiah recognized that even though he can’t see his miracle and is surrounded by opposition, he still needs to prepare for his miracle. Nehemiah 4:17 says the guards had one hand working and one hand holding a weapon. But notice that these guards weren’t just haphazardly placed. Remember, verse 17 tells us they were behind the lowest points of the wall and the exposed places. 

Finding our lowest points and our exposed places requires some humility. It requires us to be able to accept constructive criticism. And that’s hard! Where in your life do you need to set up guards in order to protect your miracle in the making? Do you need to make sure you are staying in the Word? Do you need to make sure you’re staying in the community? 

The Mundane

As necessary as it is to set up guards, it can also feel mundane. We don’t always see the tangible fruit from setting up our guards. And when it starts to feel mundane, we can start to question our miracle. When it’s no longer feeling like a miracle, we assume this must just be the mundane. The tricky thing about the mundane is that it’s easier to walk away from. It’s easier to put on the backburner. But if we shift our focus to see the mundane as preparation for the miracle, we would never slow down from that! Sometimes I feel like God says yes, this is mundane work! But I need you to stick with me in the mundane! I need to build your faith in the mundane! I need to grow your tenacity, strengthen your trust and fine tune your skills in the mundane. The mundane isn’t mundane when you know what you’re working for, or more so who you’re working for.

I was a college athlete. No one was applauding me for going to my 6am practices. No one was applauding me for going to bed early on a Friday night when my friends were at a party. No one was applauding me for sticking to my meal plan and drinking enough water during the day. But I never let myself view that as mundane because I knew that God had a purpose for my life. I knew that my mundane, day-to-day grind had a miracle on the other side. And in February of 2017 I won the National Championship in the 60m hurdles. My miracle came out of years of hard, not always fun, day-to-day, mundane tasks. 

And I believe God has a miracle over your life as well! 1 Corinthians 10:31 says so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. So when you’re in your center scrubbing the toilets, you remind yourself that this is my preparation. When you are sending out your 100th email, you remind yourself that this is training. When you are folding the maternity clothes and onesies, you keep your eyes fixed on your miracle. 

And lastly, we don’t miss our miracle by not getting distracted. I heard a pastor say once that if the enemy can’t destroy you, he’ll distract you. This is the shift we start to see in Nehemiah chapter 6. Nehemiah is just about finished building the wall and his enemies find out about this and are obviously not happy. They ask Nehemiah if he can come down to talk to them. Nehemiah, knowing that this is a setup, declines their invite. Chapter 6 verse 3 is one of my new favorite Bible verses. Nehemiah responds to his enemies by saying “I am doing a great work. I can’t come down.” I love how the MSG translation puts it. It says “Why should the work come to a standstill just so I can come down to see you?”

Nehemiah declined! Nehemiah recognized that not every conversation he is invited to ought to be accepted. Notice how Nehemiah doesn’t say “Sure, let me come down and change your mind!” He doesn’t say “Let me gossip about it to all my friends and post about it on Facebook to see what everyone else thinks.” No! Nehemiah knew that the work he was doing was a good and God-ordained work, so he doesn’t need to entertain conversations that negate that! A verse my dad would pray over me in college was 1 Corinthians 9:24 “In a race everyone runs but only one person gets the prize. So run to win.” And I feel like sometimes we are all gung ho on running to win and keeping our eyes fixed on the prize, but the minute someone wants to talk negatively about us, we are no longer running to win, we are only running to prove them wrong! When there’s a Facebook post or you receive a text or a local news story comes out that is practically begging you to respond, you don’t always need to entertain that conversation. I want to challenge you to keep your eyes fixed on your prize and not allow yourself to get distracted.

Don't Miss the Miracle

So, how do we keep from missing our miracle? 

1. We intentionally choose the voice we are listening to. We don’t listen to the voice in front of us, and we don’t listen to the voice in our head. We choose to follow what we know His word says.
2. We prepare daily for what God has in store for us. God doesn’t use perfect people for a miracle. He uses the people who are present and prepared.
3. And lastly, we don’t get distracted. We don’t entertain every conversation. We keep our eyes fixed on the prize. 

I wear contacts, however, I can see well enough to at least make my way around my house without needing my contacts in or my glasses on. Occasionally, my husband will ask me to look at something from across the room, not knowing that I’ve already taken my contacts out. After squinting real hard to see what he’s trying to show me, he’ll say “Oh! You don’t have your eyeballs in!” Can I be honest? Some of us don’t have our eyeballs in. Some of us are saying “God! Where’s my miracle? I’ve been doing this for years now and I don’t see it!” But God is saying “Put on your eyeballs! It’s right in front of you!”

We know that we serve a God who never stops working. So even when we don’t see our miracle, even when we don’t feel our miracle, we can choose to roll up our sleeves and celebrate that he is doing miraculous things in and through us every day.

Heartbeat International invites you to the long-awaited and much-anticipated European Pregnancy Help Leaders Summit.

You are invited to Bucharest, Romania, September 15-17, 2022 for in-person networking, training, learning, and encouragement with like-minded leaders from the pregnancy help movement across Europe.

• What: 2022 European Pregnancy Help Leaders Summit
• When: September 15-17, 2022
• Where: Bucharest, Romania
• Affiliate Cost: FREE for two individuals from any Heartbeat-affiliated organization (Not affiliated yet? Click here!)
• Cost for Non-Affiliates: €189 per person

Register now!

Heartbeat is offering registration and accommodations (including breakfast and hotel meals) for two persons per affiliated organization. (This offer has limited availability and registration will be first come, first served.) We look forward to hosting you.Registration includes:

• 2 nights stay in double occupancy room
• Breakfast
• Lunch on Friday and Saturday
• Dinner Thursday Night

How to register your two leaders for free:

The Summit registration is FREE for two team members of an affiliate. When you are filling out the registration form, at the bottom of the form, click on Affiliate Double Occupancy and the cost reflected underneath should be 0.00. Then you register your second participant. Before you hit submit, double check to make sure that the total cost is still 0.00. Your credit card will not be charged so long as you click on "Affiliate Double Occupancy" (see screenshot below). 

If you want to register more than two people from your organization, at your cost, you will need to fill out a new form, registering with appropriate information and then just click on single or double occupancy. The cost reflected is per person. 

Contact Ellen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you run into any technical difficulties.

Cyber Security

As many of you are aware, cyber attacks have been, and will continue to be, waged against the pregnancy help community. 

One method Heartbeat has observed is flooding center schedulers with fake appointment requests so that legitimate requests can't be entered. Another is flooding review sites (such as Yelp or Google) with negative reviews. 

While we've talked before about inviting positive reviews from your actual clients and reporting reviews that are clearly by people who have never visited your organization, the experts at Next Level want to make sure you know about the best way to challenge tactics that target schedulers.

Next Level has implemented a Captcha function for their self-service Center Scheduler feature to mitigate this threat.The goal of Captcha is to ensure all appointment requesters come from humans, not bots or scripts spamming a system. In other words, visitors to a center's website that uses Next Level must answer a Captcha challenge correctly in order to request an appointment (like many websites require to comment, create an account, or schedule an appointment). (See the image below for an example.)

If you've found this tactic preventing your clients from being able to schedule appointments, or just want to be proactive about preventing it, reach out to your online scheduling provider and ask about adding Captcha. If you find yourself wanting a CMS made specifically for pregnancy help organizations, check out NextLevelCMS.com to find out what Heartbeat has to offer!

Kelly McCallister, RN

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Minden, a small town about 30 miles east of Shreveport, Louisiana. I studied nursing at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.

Share with us about your family.

My husband and I have been married for 20 years and have 5 children: Michael, Matthew, Katie, Shelby, and Caleb. Our kids are growing up and we now have only 2 at home!

Tell us about what brought you to pregnancy help and the pro-life movement.

My journey to pregnancy help and the pro-life movement began many years ago with my own unplanned pregnancy. I remember feeling scared, overwhelmed, and the strong desire not to become just another statistic. Interestingly enough, months before my own unplanned pregnancy, I learned about abortion through the experience of a friend's family member. She went to the clinic in Shreveport and they "took care of it."  She would be off work for a couple of days, but then could go on about her life. It sounded so easy and simple! When I confessed my pregnancy to my mother, thankfully, she knew differently. She explained to me that a life was already growing inside of me and what had been done, well, was done. She became my shield and my refuge during that time. Being a teen mother had so many trials! There was so much to learn and there were so many sacrifices to be made. Looking back now, I would not trade the momentary affliction of those sacrifices for the heavy life-long burden of regret that I would carry had I had an abortion. My son became my inspiration and my motivation! My mother passed away a little over a year after my son was born, making him the only grandchild that she ever met. It was my son that kept me from giving up on life after she passed away. I made some of the best decisions of my life, not despite him, but because of him! Knowing that I had to support him, I went on to nursing school after graduation.  When I met my husband, he loved us both, and showing us the love of the Father, adopted my son as his own. In 2010, a friend from church that knew my story asked me if I would be interested in working at a local pregnancy center. Of course, I was humbled and amazed at how the Lord took all of my ashes and created something so beautiful! I would have a chance to be that shield and refuge for others that my mother was for me all those years ago. When my son was born, I was told that God must have a special purpose for him. He did and still does, as He does for each and every life He creates! My baby is now 24 years old, and I can solemnly say that I have never regretted a single day of his life.

What brought you to Heartbeat International?

While working at my pregnancy center, I read an email that was seeking nurses to serve on the Abortion Pill Reversal^TM Helpline. I had previously been intrigued by the research done regarding reversal and even remember reading an article about the personal experience of a mother that had successfully reversed her chemical abortion. There was no hesitation on my part, I knew without a doubt that the Lord was calling me to serve on the hotline!

Tell us about your experiences helping women on the Rescue Helpline.

I am brought to tears even as I write this, moved by the courage the ladies that call the hotline have. In some cases, it is minutes after she has begun the chemical abortion. These mothers are willing to admit what they have done and reach out for help. Most of them are still unsure that anything can be done, but they are willing to try! It is a decision filled with questions, uncertainty, and a deep, often-times very secretive, internal struggle. I have found that what they need is compassion, a listening ear, and a voice of hope. Women from all over the world express desperation to save their babies, this feeling is a universal one that transcends geography and even language barriers.

What has surprised you the most about the Rescue Helpline?

I am uncertain why we are surprised by the Lord's work, but I can't help but stand in awe at what He is building through Abortion Pill Reversal. A network of nurses, providers, believers, mothers and even survivors! The vastness of it can only be attributed to the Lord. What a beautiful tapestry of testimonies He is creating.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I believe the most enjoyable thing about my work is simply that it is a calling. I find great joy in serving in the roles the Lord has given me. Kingdom work far outweighs the riches this world can offer! I am humbled and amazed still every day that such a task is entrusted to us as His children.

What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

Quality time is my love language, so spending time with my family and friends fills my cup! Speaking of cups, mine usually has hot coffee in it. :)  I also love to read and enjoy singing!

What else would you like to share?

A wise friend once told me that the Lord doesn’t waste a thing. I have found this to be quite true. He has taken my personal and professional experiences, knit them together, and positioned me in such a way to serve others. He did it for me, so I know He can and will do this for you as well!

I believe that with the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade in our nation, we will see an increase in clients that begin a chemical abortion. I also know that those who regret that decision and change their minds will have a whole network of compassionate helpers waiting to serve them!

As most of you know, the Maternity Housing Coalition is powered by Heartbeat International to strengthen maternity homes in various stages of development ranging from start-ups to well-established homes. But did you know that the MHC is intentionally guided by a Leadership Council? The Council is made up of maternity housing leaders with diverse representations of staffing models, programs, interdenominational faith practices, and sizes of housing organizations. This generous body of leaders volunteer their experiences and insight to serve the well-being of affiliated maternity housing programs across the country by providing input, guidance, and training opportunities. 

Vicki Krnac - Leadership Council Chair

Before coming to Hannah’s Home Vicki was a teacher that specialized in teaching reading to kids with dyslexia. When she was going through a personally challenging time of life, Jesus became very real to her and taught her that He was always there and loved her. As she learned more about Him, and His work of salvation and how that affected her life, God called her to serve at Hannah’s Home on the Board of Directors. It wasn't long before she realized that as a single mom God was calling her to use her gifts to serve women who were hurting and broken like herself. She serves at HH because God has called her there and she seeks to live her life by doing what He asks of her.  She loves each of the women as if they are her own children. The relationships that are formed give her hope and keep her going.

Amber Hornsby

Amber has a degree in Social Work and has been serving for 10+ years in the US and internationally in human resources and service projects. Her prior work experiences have developed her current skill sets to work with people across demographics, relationally and administratively. Amber’s role within ESTHER Homes is not only administrative, but she works and lives with the families to map out and research different resource options that best meet their direct needs. 

Peggy Forrest

Peggy Forrest has served as President of Our Lady’s Inn since 2011; and in 2019 was named President & Chief Executive Officer. In this leadership role she oversees all executive functions to include administration, development, finance, human resources, and in conjunction with the Board - strategic planning. Peggy has more than thirty years of business experience in the corporate environment, demonstrating excellence in executive leadership.

Peggy has been a lifelong pro-life advocate, participating in prayer and advocacy efforts for the unborn which includes presenting testimony before Missouri State Legislative committees considering pro-life legislation. With Peggy at the helm, Our Lady’s Inn took the lead in filing a lawsuit against the City of St. Louis following its enactment of “abortion sanctuary city” ordinances; the City was defeated in federal court. Since her tenure at Our Lady’s Inn began, she has been instrumental in the opening of a number of maternity homes in Missouri and surrounding states. 

Leona Bicknese

Leona Bicknese has been working with women in crisis since 1998. She says one of the major blessings in her life has been serving as director of three maternity homes. She has also served as Chief of Operations of a PRC. She earned a BS in Business, an MBA and a Doctor of Biblical Studies in Biblical Counseling. Leona currently serves as President/CEO of Road 2 Hope Maternity Home in Beaverton, OR. She is blessed to serve on the leadership teams of the Maternity Housing Coalition and the Colson Center for Christian Worldview - Portland Cohort.  

Sue Baumgarten

Sue Baumgarten lives in Houston, Texas where she has been part of the pregnancy help movement since the early 90’s. Introduced through her church to LifeHouse of Houston (a maternity housing ministry), she has volunteered, served on and chaired the board of directors, lived in the home as house mom (with her family), and led the ministry as Executive Director. Sue currently serves on their board as the Development Chair.

She also serves nationally on the Maternity Housing Coalition’s Leadership Council (2019-present) and The National Christian Housing Conference Leadership Team (2017-present).

Beckie Perez

Beckie Pérez is wife of Mike and mother to four children. A San Diego native, Beckie is the co-founder of the 29:Eleven Maternity Home (along with her husband) which opened in 2017. In addition to serving as 29:Eleven’s Executive Director, Beckie also serves on the Leadership Council of the Maternity Housing Coalition. Of her professional achievements which include a B.A., M.A. and California Teaching Credential, Beckie is most proud of her designation as a Life Affirming Specialist (LAS) through Heartbeat International.

Suzanne Burns

Suzanne Burns, MS, CFTP founded and leads a thriving maternity home in Tennessee.  This home has served over 120 mothers and their children through residential services and an additional 500 families through its non-residential program. Suzanne and her team also manage a job training program, where clients are employed while they gain hands-on, practical job skills. 

Suzanne now trains compassionate, overwhelmed kingdom leaders to start maternity homes in their own communities. Suzanne has trained hundreds of teams to implement practical tools to transform the lives of mothers in crisis.  

by Terri Fox, Program Coordinator

Rejoicing

The anxiousness that defined every Supreme Court decision day since the beginning of June was brought to a conclusion on June 24. That day we waited, and we watched. And then there it was, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health appeared, and Roe v. Wade had been overruled. I rejoiced with a spirit of thankfulness and praise. The Supreme Court Justices had the courage and conviction to examine the laws and the Constitution and overturned a grievous decision that had been made with faulty information and outright lies.

But then I found myself surprised by grief.

Grieving

Almost immediately an overwhelming sadness came over me as I tried to muffle my sobs sitting at my desk. I thought about everyone who had been affected by Roe. Not just the babies unborn, but the women who chose, were coerced, were frightened; the men who did the coercing, threatening, and abandoning, or who were not even included in the decision making process.

As the day progressed, I was still surprised by the depth of my tears. And while I grieved for others, I was again grieving a child that physically ceased to exist, but still lives in my memory. Both of my children died in the month of July. One killed in a car accident. One killed by an abortion decision. I grieve for one more openly than the other, but I grieve for both, nonetheless.

Joy in the Mourning

And then I reminded myself to not linger on the what ifs, but to remember the words of confession and repentance expressed with godly sorrow. And remember the forgiveness received, and the mercy and comfort bestowed by a loving Father.

Work to be Done

As the decision became known, the opinions came pouring in from all around, the people closest to me sometimes hurting the most.

Someone close to me posted, “…I call on all who were so invested in abortion being outlawed to step up with the social safety net that those same ppl are opposed to funding. You now have decided to insert yourself into the lives of these women and children… If you truly care about the life of these children so much so that you are forcing this issue, which, btw, is a private, personal choice between a woman and their God or not God depending on their beliefs, then you need to put your MONEY where your morally superior mouth is…”

And one family member texted, “The Doxology just went through my heart and head.”

As we move forward from the day of decision, I’ve listened to others express their reactions with words like contemplative, somber, a heaviness of heart. There was celebration but it was subdued, because as we’re reminded by these words from the decision, “We therefore hold that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overruled, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives.”

Abortion is still available. There are still battles to be fought. Hearts are still hardened. People are still confused and hurting. They need to hear the truth. They need to see kindness. They need to be lifted in prayer. Pregnancy centers, medical clinics, maternity homes, nonprofit adoption agencies, and abortion recovery programs are still relevant as women and men still need places to find help and hope. 

Doxology

Yes, there is still work to be done. But take heart, we are not in this alone. The divide may be wide, but Jesus’ arms are wide enough. His forgiveness is complete enough. His love is deep enough.

I will share this truth until there is no more breath left in my lungs because I know that “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Is 40:31

As for me, I’m singing the Doxology.

Praise God through whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen!

If I listen closely, I’m sure I can hear you singing along.

by Jor-El Godsey, President
Heartbeat International

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

1 Peter 4:12-14, NLT

Well, suddenly the term “fiery trial” has taken on a whole new meaning for the pregnancy help movement in the United States.

Honestly, it was so much easier considering the “fiery” part of the trial was just a metaphor. Yet, when more than a half dozen pregnancy centers in diverse states have experienced actual arson attacks, the term fiery is suddenly a very real and present scenario.

We, in this modern day, are very far removed from the types of fiery trials that the apostles, and even disciples, actually faced in New Testament times and afterward. For their faith and their message and their adherence to the Gospel of Jesus Christ they were imprisoned, tortured, and even murdered. Some in especially gruesome ways. 

Especially in the U.S.A. where we have largely avoided war on our soil, we are unacquainted with an ever-present threat against us. We have not experienced, much less lived with, the real and present dangers of terrorism, societal unrest, and threat of war found in other parts of the globe.

And still the message from the Apostle Peter comes to us over two millennia. We ought not be surprised, but (gulp) rejoice.

It makes no sense to attack the innocent. Pregnancy help organizations did not overrule Roe. But then Jesus didn’t overturn Pilate's rule either. What He did do was make a way of rescue by going through the fiery trials. In fact, was He also not present as the “fourth man” in the fire of Nebuchadnezzar? (Daniel 3:24-26)

Remember that the spirit of abortion is an attack on the innocent. It is no surprise that those who support the violence of abortion will resort to violence.

That is why fiery trials are upon us. More fiery than we probably imagined. And that is because we are standing for the Gospel of Life and God’s precious Gift of Life.

With that there is good news! Peter tells us that, too. “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

The Spirit of God is all over the work of pregnancy help. We have seen the miracle of life and witnessed miracles of provision and providence. We have felt the peace of God in the midst of chaotic situations. We have known the Truth when confronting the lies of the enemy of our souls.

Take heart “because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”  

by Julie Stepp

I can’t believe Roe v. Wade has been overturned. My whole life, abortion has been a thing, and Christians around me have been praying for the reversal of this landmark decision, made 22 years before I was born. I occasionally prayed that God would overturn Roe, but I did it kind of out of obligation, without thinking about it (or abortion for that matter) very much. Abortion to me was a distant and abhorrent evil only the “outsiders” dealt with, outsiders being people who were outside my circle, and outside my sphere of influence. My only hope to make any difference was to offer a feeble prayer that one day the decision that had made abortion legal in my country could be overturned…or so I thought.

One Sunday when I was 17, I was walking out of church and saw some baby bottles sitting on a table. Nobody had told me why they were there, and out of curiosity and my overwhelming desire to have a baby of my own (we’re talking about secretly climbing up to the attic to hold a baby doll to imagine what it would be like type of desire here) I walked up to the table and read the pamphlet, slipping a bottle or two out of the building to fill for the fundraiser. I read the pamphlet over and over about how the pregnancy center helped women and babies vulnerable to abortion, and I thought about how much I would like to save two lives – the mama and the baby – from destruction. I filled out a volunteer application, and the center accepted it, shy and slightly awkward as I was. I spent hours in the back room folding donated baby clothes, peeking my head around the corner every now and then to smile at the clients walking down the hallway. I thought they were “other,” “different,” “not like me,” and I wondered in the secret places of my heart if they would accept me because I was different. They were here because they were struggling with motherhood, and what did I have to offer anyway? Was I really able to help, despite my very sheltered background and lack of motherhood? I wondered…

Then off I went to college, dropping into the center to say hi every Christmas or spring break. When I graduated, I heard they needed an assistant manager for one of their locations, so I thought I’d apply. They accepted my application (now much less awkward and much less shy), and put me to work doing all kinds of things – fundraising, counseling, record-keeping. They decided to leave me home while the rest of the staff went to the Heartbeat International Annual Conference in Dallas (boy, they raved about Heartbeat conferences!), and while I was alone in the office preparing for a baby bottle fundraiser speech, the Lord spoke to me very powerfully about Esther and how she spoke up for her people to save them from death.

This verse in particular stood out to me: “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14, emphasis mine). I felt like this passage hit me in the chest with its weight, and so I started speaking at the churches who would allow me about what God had laid on my heart. I told fellow believers in the pews that now was a significant moment in history - the heartbeat bill had just been written into law in Ohio - and it wasn’t time to give up or turn the other way. It was time to speak up and bring that relief and deliverance to moms, dads, and babies in our community. If we didn’t, the results for us and our posterity could be very grim. Then I would close my speech with a call to action – “please pick up a baby bottle in the back and check out our mobile ultrasound unit in the parking lot.” I laugh as I write this – the pastors probably weren’t expecting such a hard-hitting prelude!

The executive director heard about my Esther speech and invited me to give it at the center’s biggest event of the year. We worked and reworked my speech to make it exactly what we wanted, and I added a little something to it this time. I remember standing there, looking out over the donors and friends seated at the many tables, and telling them that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was the only way we were going to make abortion unthinkable and unwanted. I told them how no one who truly understood their value bestowed by their Creator would knowingly take the life of their own unborn child, another of God’s creation, and that we needed to take this Good News to our community because we had a chance in history to defeat this evil and save a generation. That night was one of my last at Elizabeth’s Hope Pregnancy Resources. The next week I moved to a new city and started my new job at Heartbeat International.

I kept thinking about what I had said. My own voice kept ringing in my ears. Now is the time. It’s only the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People around me would bring up the phrase “for such a time as this” and I would just smile. They had no idea what was going on in my head and heart.

Two years passed, and I got married and had my own baby, and then I felt a greater reason to help moms and rescue babies. Abortion must be eradicated. This was no longer something I just vaguely wanted. This was no longer a half-hearted prayer. And now I further understood how to help women. How to meet them where they were and how to offer them hope.

And then suddenly this was the moment. This was the moment that I didn’t realize how much I had been waiting for. I had found a way to help outside of what protection (or lack thereof) the law offered. I had found a way to help women. But the possibility for Roe to be overturned? We all held our breath, and waited, and wondered. Would the leaked decision of the Supreme Court hold true? Would they really overturn Roe v. Wade? And then it happened. I got the text, and I cried. It was finally official. The decision that had sent so many to their grave was finally overturned. The power to protect the gift of Life has been returned to its people.

I see God’s hand in my life personally to lead me to where I am at this moment. I see that He was intentional. I wonder why, and I am in awe that He would orchestrate for me to be in the pregnancy help movement right now. I am not on the sidelines looking at the landscape of our country and thinking “Oh that’s interesting – I wonder who I could give money to.” No, I wake up every morning and do something that actually makes a difference to moms and their babies. They are no longer “other,” “different,” and “unreachable” to me. They are real women that need help and are within my area of influence. This is what our country needs in this moment. We are the safety net for women who might believe the lie that they need abortion. It’s as if the chains of control have been broken, and Life has the freedom to reign.

When I go to the annual 4th of July festivities this year with my family and friends (on top of the hill beside my grandma’s old house), I’ll be thinking about how God truly is the one who frees the oppressed. He truly does answer prayer, and He aligns the events of history to bring forth His goodness. I’ll hold my wide-eyed son on my knee as he sees fireworks for the first time. And I’ll rejoice that for his generation, Roe will only be a story of the distant past. The oppressed have been set free. Liberty has come for the captives! Hallelujah!