Is Abortion in the Case of Rape Alright? My Conclusions

I have always believed that abortion is wrong. I would have argued this point with anyone that had the desire to argue back. I believe that a woman who has an abortion is killing a life, and I have very little tolerance for such actions. I believe abortion is a sin. I believe that having an abortion is bad for your health. I can point you to the numerous studies on how women how have an abortion are at a very high risk of developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, among the myriad of other mental and physical illnesses that have been know to develop among women who have had abortions.

Saying all that, I have always secretly believed that there is only one circumstance where it is alright for a woman to get an abortion in the case of known rape. When I say known rape, I mean it. I believe that a woman should have a rape kit done to acquire biological evidence at the time of the rape. I do not believe a woman should be able to come into an abortion clinic and say, “Oh, I was raped and I want an abortion.” That would not be sufficient enough. I believe that if a woman is truly raped than she should go in for the exam and then, and only then, does she have the right to ask for an abortion. Why should a woman that has been shamed and humiliated have to endure public shame and humiliation for sometime she had no control over? Why should a woman have to suffer through nine months of pregnancy and the subsequent childbirth because she was violated? These and others have always been my argument.

Well, last night this all changed for me. I was up really late and praying about the pornography industry. (I believe you are called to love the people, hate the sin), when the Lord began to speak to me about the issue of abortion in the case of rape. More specifically, I got 1 verse:

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.-Genesis 50:20.

This single verse was able to change my whole opinion on the topic of abortion in the case of rape. It is amazing how God can use something so small, to mean something so big. Granted, I really have no idea if I am taking it out of context, but I do know that this principle can be used in several circumstances, and if it can be used in them, than it should be used in this one. I believe that one cannot know what that fetus is to be. What is currently something so small, God can use for great things. Who knows if that fetus that was conceived in a tragic event, could turn into the person who can change the world? Is that child inside the woman a future statesman, clergy member, an artist or one of the many other callings that God has for that life? How powerful is a testimony of a person who was conceived in such tragedy and can do so much good?

A Journey to get here! Let's GO!

So, I have kind of a weird view on missions. I’m a worship person. I spend my life seeking the heart of my Heavenly Father. I have an audience of One. I live for the One that knows my heart better than I do, for the heart is deceitful. I know that I’m called to live this life, a life of worship to the one true God. The only reason for missions is to bring people in relationship with the King! If God were standing in front of His people, missions would be unnecessary, worship will last forever!

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."~from "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper

I could never understand why people spend thousands of dollars, fly halfway across the world. Minister God’s word for a few weeks and fly back home when there are people all around us starving for God. Yes, I know that the people across the world need God too, don’t get me wrong. I cry out for the nations to know God all the time. In fact the sex trafficking in Asia is something that God has put on my heart for a long time. But I also understood that those resources could be spent here. Fixing up that elderly woman’s house on the north side of town because she can’t spend another winter in a home with out heat or she will die. I couldn’t understand why we were spending thousands just getting there when there are needs in our own back yard!

Well, it’s story time. Sit back. Grab a snack and read my story. My unfinished, excerpt story. It all started oh gosh, probably a year ago now. There is a popular song “Hosanna” by Hillsong United that was really (and I mean REALLY) popular around the ORU campus. It was literally like the anthem of the semester (Thank God Break Free had gone away!) I love this song! Still do, even though I need a break from it being overplayed. I love that it is truly worship, totally vertical. But I, like most people, was especially touched by the bridge:

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

This bridge became my hearts cry. I was hurting SO bad! I needed God to heal me! I needed God to show me His love! But more than anything, I needed God to show me what broke His heart! My heart was broken, and I finally got it. God wanted me to show me what broke His heart, what grieved Him. He wanted to show me, He got it. God created the feelings that I was going through because I am made in His image. He feels them too! I began to search for what this meant for God. God directed me to this scripture:

"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God...let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away form you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God forgave you"~Eph 3:30-32

What grieves His heart is His children not acting like their Father. What grieves God is His children putting other desires over a relationship with Him. He is a jealous God-El Quanna! (and don’t take this out of context. The jealousy this is referring to is that which one feels when a covenant is being threatened) God is relational. His heart beats for His children! These children that let so many things get in the way of their relationship with Him and with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

As He revealed this to me, He began the process of healing me. Of mending my heart back together, a process that is still not over. Through this He lead me to a summer job. I worked for a non-profit called the Dream Again Foundation (DAF) as a case manager. DAF’s main goals are to minister to the orphans and widows and see their hearts healed through both the practical (housing, food, clothing), but also trough the hands on ministry of Jesus Christ through us, His hands and feet. I saw first hand everyday how much of a need there is in our own back yard for the Healing touch of Christ. I saw the orphans and widows, looked them in the eye and my heart broke. It broke because I saw God’s heart for them. God gave me new language to put with my calling. I’m here to bring wholeness through the power of the Holy Spirit to the hurt and broken.

Like I said earlier, I’m not a missionary, I’m a worshipper. I have been at ORU for awhile now. I have hung out in the mission’s office. I have spoken with those whose heart beats for missions. I was not impressed. My impression, be it right or wrong, they wanted to be a Flashbang (Thanks Mark Steele!) They wanted to come in. Make a loud sound, but leave no lasting impact. Even if a lasting impact was their desire, they seemed more concerned with how big the number was of people who said the Sinner’s prayer was than how many of those people had truly had their lives changed and were beginning the process of going from glory to glory. Who is going to disciple someone in the jungle? Certainly not the people who had left town after a month or two of being there. I know every missions staffer is screaming now, “No, you don’t get it!’ I’m just relaying my impressions.

To make matters worse, I knew people who had left on there missions trip, excited, ready to see God move and so on fire for the Word of God and came back disenchanted. I know people who literally came back having lost their faith in God. Their experience was they began to see people. The people who were “Christians” but don’t act like it. My heart breaks for these people as I know where they are coming from.

Let’s fast-forward a little bit. I began grad school at ORU. I pretty much assumed that any mission’s trip was for undergrads and that I was past the ORU missions stage and could move on. Well, I was wrong. Put a couple of people in my life that changed my opinion. The first is a friend that went to Mexico over the summer as I stored her stuff in my garage. When she came back, something had changed in her. I don’t remember any real stories, but just the way she carried herself after the trip as compared to before, you knew God was working in her. The second person was a guy I go to grad school with. He led a team last year. We ate dinner a little while before school started and his heart for his team and the people of the country he had ministered in astounded me. First I shrugged it off, he was the TL, of course he felt like that. Then God began to soften my heart toward ORU missions. Maybe they had left a lasting impact? Why didn’t they mention any numbers? Maybe there is something to this?

Well, the friend that I had stored her stuff was applying to be a team leader. She actually didn’t get it, but that is not the point. As she was going through the process, I started praying about it. God, are You wanting me to go on ORU missions? I don’t like them, or at least I thought I didn’t? Before missions chapel even took place God had given me a clear direction. I was to go to Nashville Mercy over Spring Break. This was even confirmed by my friend being called to the same place. I couldn’t wait for mission’s chapel so I could apply! I literally went over that day, filled out my card and paid my $10 and before I knew it I was part of ORU missions.

I just today (well, it’s 2am so I guess technically it was yesterday now) got the official word saying I’m going part of the Nashville Mercy Team. My grad school friend came in and said “I know where your going!” in a kind of mocking tone. I said where, and He wouldn’t tell me. Well, for a second at least, then He said Nashville Mercy ☺ !!! I was so excited! I also had such a peace, knowing that this was totally God and that He had brought me to this point. I talked to my TL a little tonight on Facebook, she seemed cool and I can’t wait to get to meet her! I found out that my friend that went to Mexico last summer will be on the same trip! And God is so cool that, although not officially, I’m 100% financed! I’m ready to write a check and any fundraising that I earn (I’ll do them for the team building) can hopefully go to someone else on my team or on another one as is needed.

Needless to say, it has been quite a journey to get me here and I’m excited to see what God does in this trip! Nashville Mercy is perfect, I get to minister to those who can truly be disciple. I get to love the broken and I can’t think of a better way to spend my Spring Break!

He Hears Your Cry

Alright, hears a song the Lord gave me as I was procrastionating a paper. Oops. It's still not done, but here you go. Grace & Peace!

Verse 1
When Able cried out to God
He heard his cry
When the slaves cried out in Egypt
He heard their cry
And when the wanders cried out
For food and for drink
He heard their cry
Oh, He heard their cry

Verse 2
As Israel was captive
He heard their cry
As the woman washed God’s feet
He heard her cry
Ans as Judas was being tortured
After betraying his King
He heard his cry
Oh, He heard his cry

Chorus
Now pull down your harp
Rejoice in the name of the Lord
Because no longer is this to be a funeral dirge (x2)
Make a joyful noise
Make a joyful noise
To the Lord that hears your cries

Verse 3
As the walls of Jericho were tumbling
He heard their cry
As the waters of the sea were standing
He heard their cry
And as Jesus was hanging on the cross
Crying, “Father, forgive them”
He heard His cry
Oh, He heard His cry

Bridge
As you cry out in your bondage
You cry rises up
As you cry out for help
Surely He will hear your cry
Surely He will hear your cry

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