I love strong women. They inspire me.
When I say strong I don’t mean “hard.” There’s a difference. A big difference. The strength of a woman is beautiful and kind – an image bearing quality of God. That kind of strength is honest, patient and self-sacrificing.
I recently came across an article about a woman who was raped by two men when she was just a 12-year-old girl. Traumatized, little Lianna Rebolledo felt as though any value had been stripped from her, and she tried to kill herself. But at the hospital, she discovered she was pregnant.
The doctor advised her to abort, explaining that she should not have to live with the consequences of the rape – a baby. Of course any strong woman would say, “Yes, of course! This is what I must do to correct this wrong,” right?
But in Lianna’s innocence, she asked the doctor if she would forget about the rape and pain if she had the abortion. As he responded with a definite “no,” she began to think of the little baby inside of her. “Why should I have the abortion if I’m not going to forget about the rape?” she exclaimed. “I would be giving my baby the death penalty, and it wasn’t my baby’s fault.”
While she recognized her own emotional immaturity and knew it would be a hard road ahead, wisdom rose to the forefront. And she found strength and comfort as she listened to her baby’s heartbeat. She was no longer alone.
Today, Lianna’s daughter is a beautiful 23-year-old young lady and a recent college graduate. And Lianna was right. It wasn’t easy but not because her child was a constant painful reminder of the rape. Instead her daughter helped her to overcome suicidal thoughts. “Just knowing that I had this little person with me gave me courage,” she explained. “She gave me the strength to become a better person, to go back to school, to have two jobs, and to make sure her life was going to be completely different than my life.”
No doubt, strength is exhibited through a woman like Lianna who learned over the years that forgetting was not the key to her healing, rather forgiveness was.
And then there’s the strength of women like State Representative Molly White (R-TX) who ran for office with transparency about her past that included abortions, drug abuse and suicidal thoughts. That alone takes courage. And it didn’t stop her from securing the seat.
In her years of pro-life work, Molly has come in contact with many women whose right to give birth was stolen from them and have experienced devastating emotional consequences as a result. A number of studies have shown that more than 60 percent of post-abortive women were forced or pressured to abort.
With Molly's new platform, she was propelled to do something to protect women and their babies. So, she drafted the Coerced Abortion Prevention Bill that, if passed, will require abortion facilities to screen for coercion and to provide clear avenues for protection.
As I thought about these two stories, I realized something. Although their stories are quite different, abortion advocates would likely be incensed by both of these brave women. Their decisions, actions and admissions go against the narrative that abortion is a viable option void of consequences, a choice that is good and right.
In today’s society, Spirit-filled women are increasingly facing ridicule for godly decision-making. Our circumstances vary greatly, but each of us has been placed in a position to love and obey, to exercise our faith. And if there was ever a time to be prepared in prayer and communion with Christ and other believers, it is now. In our weakness and dependence, God’s strength and beauty shines forth.
(Thanks to LifeNews.com)
