"I spy, with my little eye..."

Perhaps you played the game called, "I Spy" where you would give a clue like, "I spy, with my little eye something ( fill in blank)" and your partner would try to guess what it was that you were lookin at.

My question to you is, "Can you spot someone who has had an abortion?"

Stumped you didn't I?

All too often in our society here in the USA, we assume that someone who has had an abortion is of a certain demographic. Perhaps, someone who is in poverty, or is in the career field of entertainment or has no moral values. If the person is a teenager, the kids at their school may likely be judgmental towards them and bully them.

I too have been on the end when I was a teen and hearing about a girl having an abortion and saying, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe that! I would never!!"

However, while all those may be examples of stereotypes, it is not the benchmark for having had an abortion.

Any person experiencing a life-changing and often referred to as, crisis pregnancy, may find themselves pondering the question of abortion. The question doesn't come with a prerequisite of attributes a person must have. It comes up when the person finds themselves in a situation that leaves them scared, feeling alone, uncertain what to do, and desperate. They are left with all the panic that comes with it, including the questions, "How can I have this baby? How can I provide for this baby?"

Not to even think of the set of circumstances and that might have even led up to this pregnancy or the urgencies in it.

Asking the question, "Can you spot someone who has had an abortion?" is meant to get you to reflect on the fact there are no types of people who do. The only type of person is one that obviously had to weigh in many things to make that choice, that decision to abort their unborn child.

However, what cannot always be spotted easily are issues of the heart and soul and mind. Many times, women and men both have expressed that after having an abortion, they were left feeling empty, emotionally dead, full of anger and/or rage, felt loneliness more often, found themselves in isolation more than normal, expressed having low self-esteem, often lying to friends and family, anxieties and even expressing generalized fear.

After seeking trauma healing for my own issues, I have since learned that anyone can be someone who has experienced abortion. Whether they were the woman that aborted or the man that encouraged it, or the would-be grandparent/sibling. Anyone could be that someone.

Over 63 million abortions have been performed since 1973; that is 1 abortion every 34 seconds, 106 abortions per hour, 2548 abortions per day, (1)

1 in 4 women will have an abortion before the age of 45. (2)

Here’s the thing...

Many people do not know what to do AFTER they have had an abortion. They begin to experience so many physical changes, and emotional changes that no one ever warned them about, and only said, "You'll be fine." Or "Your life will go back to normal." Or "Don't worry, everything will be okay, it's just clump of tissue." When in fact, all those were untruths!

82% of people find themselves wondering, "Now what? Where do I get healing from this?” (3)

Someone who has had an abortion begins to feel so many emotions that they often find themselves feeling utterly hopeless and unable to express their pain, their grief, guilt, regret and shame to another person. They live life what looks like to be normal on the outside all the while hiding their true selves behind their facade of a mask.

Many times these are people in the American churches sitting in seats right next to you. They may be an elderly person who during their young years, had no choice, or it was left up to the woman because it was her body and her choice.

Regardless of the reasons, these people are people. Jesus calls His children to go out unto the nations to share the truth of God and to tell them about His gracious gift of forgiveness.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am here to tell you that Jesus does offer healing from the pains of abortion. He offers healing from the heartbreak you may be experiencing, but walk around with it buried deep within, a forbidden secret that no one would ever understand.

Friend, that right there is a lie from the enemy. Jesus understands. He has come to save us and reconcile us from our sins, our deeds that keep us separated from God the Father. Jesus desires you to be at peace and reconciled to Him. (John 3:17)

So, while we may not be able to spot someone who has had an abortion like we can spot a deer in a forest, we can spot truth in God's word that points us to the peace He offers and that gives us healing.

“For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

In closing, I would like to encourage you to pause and take a look around you the next time you are in a crowd. Ponder what the lives of the people around you have been like, what things could they too have had to deal with.

Not everyone lives a life where they are already exposed to the word of God and the loving sacrifice of Jesus. BUT- if you are- then you are commanded to tell others of that truth. You could be the one to spot the very next person who needs the love of Jesus and His peace that only comes from Him.

So, will you be a conduit of the love of Christ Jesus and try to spot someone who may need it?

Be His dear child and live your life full of love, following the example of Christ. (Ephesians 5:2)

Lord help me to be sensitive to those around me who might need you. Fill my mouth with your words, Lord, drawing them close to you. For you are the giver of life, of peace and reconciliation.

Amen.

Sources:
(1) https://www.all.org/abortion/abortion-statistics
(2) https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states
(3) https://supportafterabortion.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-Research-Handout-VF1.pdf

by Esther N. Smith
www.esthernsmith.com

FC ShultzJanuary 29, 2025Comment