Healing in the Breaking

      I thought the best way to heal is to not drudge up the past.  I thought it was sufficient to define forgiveness as tolerating someone’s presence temporarily.  When God told me that I was to take a sabbatical, specifically to address my childhood wounds, I was willing to be obedient, but I wasn’t so accepting about the whole ordeal.  Moving back “home” meant that I couldn’t hide from the people or behaviors that haunted me since I was a preteen.  Intentional or not; abuse or a personality vice - it didn’t matter how you defined it.  However, for the longest time, I decided that the best way to deal with that pain was to run from it.  And yet, unbeknownst to me, I was operating from those wounds in my present relationships.  God knew better than I that the best way to heal was to no longer bandage it up, but cut open the scars I thought were healed and clean out the dead things in my life.     As a Christian, one knows the truth.  But if not careful, wounds silently leak a poison in which lies are believed and acted upon.  This was the case in my life.  I do not want to go into details of who the person was, nor their actions, however, there was a family member whose words, actions, and sometimes attitudes caused a pain in me for a long time.  I believed I wasn’t good enough in certain areas.  I believed I had to do certain things to finally be accepted.  And lastly, I felt there were so many rules.  And in part, I knew that some of these things were false.  Or, at least, it is a matter of experience, culture, and perspective.  But, because it came from a Christian, and I was a teenager looking for Christian wisdom, I think I needed to heed this wisdom, in part.     Wounds coming from Christians can be the worst.  (You can read an allegory story concerning this topic in my other blogpost: https://honesttogodletters.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-man-with-cut-off-nose.html.)  They should have a relationship with Jesus, and so they should act like Jesus…Right?!  And yet, the reality is that sometimes Christians fall short, too.  Nevertheless, the wounds I incurred were allowed to define me, and I was acting out of them when I, myself, were trying to share about Jesus.  I mentioned relationship, but I have lived a life of legalism.  I thought I was rebelling against this deception, but I had been falling for it, more than I realized it.     I thought running away was the best way to get away from the past, but God wanted me to finally confront it.  Sending me “home” didn’t mean just moving back to my hometown.  It meant living with the individual who hurt me.  I promise you, I was questioning how God could bring healing into such a broken relationship.  On the surface, everything was alright.  I was willing to be around the person for family engagements.  However, what God wanted to do was work in me more than the other person. (Crazy, I know.  After all, they are the ones who are guilty.) 
     Living with the person who hurt me did three primary things in my life.  First, It allowed me to see more sides of the person.  In knowing more about their interests and heart, I could identify with them on a social level, and not just a political/religious level (which is what I most saw in their lives).  It was hard at first.  People said the person had such a caring heart, and my initial reaction was, “Really?  Because the person I know is very critical.”  And yet, in observation, I could laugh with them, spend time with them and understand their passions.  I was forced to see them for more than just their sin.
    The second impact was that I learned to learn from them.  So much of the pain they caused over my formative years prevented me from wanting to receive anything from them.  My perspective was that the person had a black/white mindset that didn’t allow challenge or discussion.  Ironically, over the things that I thought shouldn’t matter (like how to set a table), God straight up told me, “Well, if it doesn’t matter, then why don’t you do it their way?”  The pain produced pride and rebellion in me.  And yet, this individual did have some things by which I could learn.  After this year, there are some things I still don’t agree with 100%, but I have found there are things they have taught me - even on a Christian level- that has helped.      The third thing I had to learn concerning true forgiveness was to confront the sin.  So often, we think that forgiveness is letting it go and never bringing it up.  And yet, people who have been hurt can tell you that when something is never said, the wound will come again.  It is a perpetual cycle unless a line is drawn.  There was a situation, this last year, where the individual had done something hurtful.  I wrestled with it the following week, because…it wasn’t a matter of disagreement, as much as how the disagreement played out.  It was this pattern of behavior that diminished so much of my confidence.
      I played it over in my head.  If I just had an audience, and if they could get me angry enough, I would BLAST them so they could BLATANTLY see their sin.  However, that isn’t the heart of forgiveness.  There was such a complexity to it, honestly.  Part of my pain came from being victimized that no one spoke up for me when I needed them to.  And yet, now in my 30s, it wasn’t realistic to go back and redo the past.  Though I wanted someone to say something, I found that that person speaking up had to be me.
    Dang it.  Why?  Why did it have to be me?  But as much as there are scars from my past, if I wanted to be a healthy person, I had to learn to take the steps for myself now, and not wait for my past to change.  I had started reading a book called Boundaries (written by Henry Cloud and John Townsand) at the time of this present wound.  One thing that was discussed was the need for setting boundaries as a means to prevent further hurt.  And when to confront the hurt, it must be done in a manner by which we lovingly want to bring to knowledge the sin of the offender, so that they may repent.  Will the person repent?  Only God knows.  But giving them an opportunity is the goal of forgiveness.  After all, Jesus’ kindness led to our repentance.     So, I not only had to confront the wound, set boundaries, I also had to do so in a manner in which to help restore the relationship.  Trust me.  The LAST thing I wanted to do was make a way for me to be nearer to the one who hurt me.  That was my qualm with God this whole last year!  And yet, God reminded me that in my sin, He did the very thing that would renew a relationship between Him and myself.
    Call it passive aggressive, but I let the person know via text.  I didn’t trust the person well enough to not begin blubbering in person or for them to hear me out.  I needed to say what I needed to say with freedom, and to think about what needed to be said…in love.  The amazing thing was when I brought it to their attention, they had no clue that their actions caused the kind of harm resulted.  In their openness to receive the truth, there was repentance.  And in repentance, there were steps of trust built.
    I cannot say that the work is made complete.  I do have my boundaries and there are certain things that God is showing me it is better not to give the person influence in certain areas.  He also convicted me that if I know the person strongly disagrees with me on a topic, I shouldn’t bait them and make them sin against me, either (didn’t think that was in me…whoops).  I am learning that if I want to be healthy and do ministry the right way, then I really do need to let go of the past.  I have to take a hold of what God says, and not pay any mind to what people say as much.  The old saying, “Chew on the meat and spit out the bones” is now a day-to-day reality, but understanding what is meat vs. bones has left me choking on less poison than I used to.  I can’t believe that I used to teach things out of the Bible, knowing they were true, but my heart simultaneously believed in lies of the enemy.    And now, I can say that I am putting my trust in Jesus more and more each day. 
    Running away from the past is a short-term solution.  However, I recognize that confrontation must be done delicately.  I didn’t do this work when I was 23 years old, and perhaps the reason was because I hadn’t truly forgiven.  If I had confronted, it would have been about proving myself right and demonizing the offender.  And yet, that isn’t the heart of Jesus.  His heart is for repentance and restoration.  If we have no desire for restoration, then we have no business in speaking with the person who hurt us.
    Healing does take time.  It requires acknowledgement of the pain.  Tears are a form of release; let them flow.  It takes letting your story be heard; tell a trusted friend.  But at some point, it is important to confront.  Whether this involves the person or not, the wound must be directly addressed.  A wound is a mark from the world that tempts us to doubt God’s goodness and truth.  Left alone in a corner, it becomes a thorn that will fester and poison a garden. 
     Lastly, boundaries and defining the relationship helps prevent further wounds. I think so much of my pain came from my own expectation of what the person should’ve been, that I put them on a pedestal, opened my heart freely (at such a young age, this could hardly be helped, but as an adult, I have a bit more autonomy to realize what to take in or not), and sought for their approval.  If I had just focused on Jesus, their actions wouldn’t have turned into offenses, because I wouldn’t have put my expectation on them.  
     It’s something I’m learning.  And it’s something I have to remind myself daily.  But living in freedom takes time.  However, the more I do it, the more it will become a natural state of being.  And if you read this post, I hope you can find this freedom, as well.

Sabbath: A Look at Active Rest

    

Rest.  Americans can define what rest is, however, many are without understanding of what it is actually.  Furthermore, honoring the Sabbath as God desires is something that is forgotten.  Sure, we work 40 hour weeks.  We finally learned from the Labor Unions at the turn of the 20th century that having time off is healthy for the individual, but also for the production of the company.  And yet, I think we still miss it, for the most part.  Because when we are supposed to be resting, we find another project or chore that must be completed.  America is go, go, go…and often it takes something that forces us into bedrest to finally slap us across the face to STOP! We have convinced ourselves that to be busy can equate glory to God.  After all, are we not supposed to be about our Father’s business?   Absolutely.  But it was quite the surprise when I wanted to reject the idea of having to rest last Fall when God told me that sitting at His feet was also His business.  We can accomplish so much, and yet, without taking a sabbath, there is a danger of doing more harm than good.  God designed for us to have sabbath.  We are supposed to rest.       In the last year, I found there are two primary reasons for rest.  Counter to our modern society, it is not passive, and is attached to a goal.  In the manner of rest, which includes “not working”, i.e. sitting, lying down, the goal of this rest is to allow for repair from extensive work.  For those who do physical activity, the most effective workouts include a short period of rest after each exercise.  The reason for this is so that muscles can receive oxygen after being depleted by force of activity.  At the end of the day, we sleep.  Rest gives restoration.  Sabbath is needed, because our souls need regular restoration from the work that we find ourselves in.     Secondly, and perhaps more important concerning the longevity of being able to work is that rest provides rehabilitation.  In exercise, individuals often will break from the high impact work through the week and will have a “stretch” day.  The rest is not just sitting back.  It is using the muscles at a slower pace, so that the body doesn’t cease from remembering its purpose (to move), but it will strengthen in areas that cardio, nor strength and conditioning can’t accomplish. God will slow us down to challenge us throughout our lives, so that He can address something in our lives that He is preparing for the next work.  This is done at a slower pace, because, well, let’s face it.  When God challenges us, sometimes we hesitate, and obedience requires baby steps. But stretching also addresses mobility and flexibility…things that the body wouldn’t ever encounter, if the person decided to not stretch.  When the purpose stretches, they are better prepared for more activity, because they are actively preventing injury.     However, sometimes injury occurs.  Physically, but also at the soul level.  We try to have regular restoration.  We made a point to be stretched and prevent injury.  But life is life, and often, no matter our effort, we still come out scarred.  This is where I arrived a little more than a year ago.  I was hoping God was just going to send me to another reservation.  Instead, He was sending me back to my hometown.  “Why?”  Because I had to deal with my childhood wounds.  What I didn’t realize in the last few years was that I was ministering out of my wounds.  Aside from the burnout I was experiencing, because I didn’t rest (out of the conviction that I was needed on all days of the week), what work I did was broken, as well.     I am reminded of a series on biblical seasons preached by my Browning pastor.  Spring: seeding new things, Summer: the work toward the fruit, Fall: receiving a harvest, and Winter: the rest.  I asked my dad what farmers do during the winter season.  It would be nice to think that rest was meant to sit back, however, that is not the case.  Even in the winter, there is a specific goal.  Farmers take time during the winter to take inventory of their harvest and to also repair equipment.  Just as in working out, the rest season has an active purpose.  There is a restoration that comes from being fed from the harvest, but there is also rehabilitation for things that were injured in the process of working the harvest.     God determined that sabbath was needed for longevity to carry purpose.  The American mindset that we should work hard, play hard and never take a break for a second is physically tiring us out, mentally driving us insane with stress, but spiritually creates discouragement for the soul.  Without rest, we are then convinced that the effort must 100% rely upon our efforts, when whatever work we do must be done in Him.  In Jesus.  Sabbath allows us to take a break and draw our strength from God.  It also helps us to refocus on Who is important.  If we fail to remember the Who of our lives, we will get lost on our what.      Sabbath is required regularly.  And sometimes, God requires a season of sabbath.  It is weird to have an elongated rest in a world of doing things nonstop.  But in looking back, I am thankful I was obedient.  Failure to rest, restore and rehabilitate, I would have continued to work in my own understanding, wisdom, and ability.  When I lead me, I found I caused injury.  Stepping down from the busy is not bad.     Most Christians are satisfied to attend church for the couple hours required and go back to the normal rush of society.  When someone decides to step down, there can be judgment as if the person is not right with God.  But what I understand now is that if someone sees something awry in their lives and doesn’t address it, worse may result (such as being forced to step down or fall into sin).  God has given sabbath for our benefit and protection.     One last point on the goal of sabbath, before I end.  Sabbath isn’t just about us getting a breather, though that happens.  Primarily, it is in the manner we can worship God.  Yes, in Colossians, we are directed to do all things as for the Lord and not for men.  I don’t know about you, but I am prone that too much work can result in failure in communing with the One I love and adore, and that work ceases to be a form of worship, but turns into duty.  Taking a sabbath is God’s version of “date night” to focus back on what’s important: Him.  So, if you are feeling led to step away from some things, I highly encourage you to do so.  The time spent will be fruitful and will prepare you to go farther than if you had never stopped at all.

Reverence

Must a bride resign
To silence in the excitement
Of her betrothal?
Must she hush
The joy found in joining
With her Lover?

You desired 
To draw near.
In Your holiest presence,
You longed for Your people's 
Essence.
Yet, in fear of Your being
They shuddered.  They kept You distant
For the security of their comfort.
Only one knew Your face.
Only one knew Your grace
Without a veil.

Forgive me 
If my words are forbidden.
The Sabbath must be somber;
Yet somber does not resort
To a sort of sadness
In approaching Your throne.
There is a sincerity in the heart;
Filled with spirit and truth.
How can I worship You
If I fear, but do not love, You?

When I ponder on all
You are,
I can do nothing
But respond.
I have to pour
What little love I have
Upon the One who is infinite.
What gravity is there that You
Desire to know Your creation intimately?
And I say
Let it be so.

I know there may be moments
In which the quiet is required.
I know that reverence will
Cause me to be still.
Yet the glory of Your name
Beckons me to exile shame
From a wrath that can be found 
In silence.

Your goodness is too good
To not share.
So, if You mean for me to utter,
May my soul never deny;
May my mouth never refuse
To shout praise to her Lover!

I'm Sorry

I'm sorry for the sins I hide.
I'm sorry for the things I've justified.
Please forgive me,
And breathe in me anew.

The Man with the Cut-Off Nose

      Long ago, there was a chief whose son was a great warrior.  He fought in many battles, and saved his people from many hardships and oppressors.  The time came when the warrior was to be married.  He was looking for the perfect bride.  Beautiful women presented themselves and hoped he would choose them.  But the warrior’s eyes only would look at one.  He decided to choose her.  She wasn’t beautiful.  She bore scars not on her skin, but on her soul.     The elders heard from the chief who was to be picked as the warrior’s bride.  In response, they denounced the choice.  “What kind of bride is this for the chief’s son?! She isn’t worth being his!”  She was a woman known to be unfaithful.  She was violent and a liar.  She was a thief.  For the chief’s son to choose this one of all the women in the village was absurd and dishonoring.      The chief assured them that this woman had decided to change her ways.  She was no longer who she used to be.  Her character was upright, and she would be the warrior’s bride.  Whether the elders would join in the feasting was left to their decision, but the chief hoped that they would reconsider their dread.  Soon after, the warrior married the woman.     For a little while, the woman proved to be as righteous as the chief made it known.  She was faithful to the warrior, and kept her house well.  Yet, the coyote still whispered to her while she slept.  He told the woman, “I know you long to be loved.  But there is more that can care for you.”  She kept the coyote’s words hidden, but in time, she wandered once again, abandoning her husband.  One night, she was found to possess items belonging to various people in the village.     The elders brought the woman before the chief.  “We knew she was no good for your son!”  Then they turned toward the woman.  “You were chosen to be the wife of the chief’s son!  He is the greatest warrior, and the most upright.  How dare you be unfaithful?”  The woman did not deny the words.  The elders held onto the woman’s arms for her sentencing*, but the warrior arose.  With tears in his eyes, he said he would take her punishment.  In turn, he would also go into the wilderness for three days and present himself to Creator for forgiveness.     The great and righteous warrior’s nose was cut off.  Without a word, he then left the village to plead his case with Creator.  Within the three days, the warrior and his bride returned home.  Apologetic for her failings, she decided to be faithful and she pledged her vows again to her husband. She returned what was stolen. The warrior was scarred, but smiled as his bride was with him, again.     All was well in their home, but the village would not forget her wrong.  Women spoke quietly, and warned their children to not go near the warrior’s bride.  Men scowled, from a distance, in judgment.  The elders, knowing the ways to live a good life, were quick to remind the woman that she should have been the one to have her nose cut off.  This came to the warrior’s attention, and he became angry.     He asked the people, “Who has their nose cut-off?  Is it my bride or myself?  And if she does not carry the scar, then why would you condemn her for where there is no evidence of judgment against her?  And if my punishment was good enough to cover her wrongs, and I have forgiven her, then why do you hold onto her offenses?  Are you more righteous than she?  Has Creator given you mercy?  Then you should be merciful to whomever I choose to give mercy.” 

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     If you have lived long enough, you have been hurt by someone.  And if you are someone who grew up in the church (and even if you didn’t), chances are, you may have been hurt by someone who is a Christian.  To be hurt by a fellow believer can seem more painful than to be hurt by someone who doesn’t know Jesus.  As a Christian, they should know better.  The thing is, people are still people. There are misunderstandings and blindsides.   And Christians, in their humanity, unfortunately still fall.  I wish when we got saved, we never sinned again.  Sure would make things so much more simpler.  Alas, the process of salvation is a process and learning to walk after Christ is not completed overnight.
    This isn’t an excuse to let sin reign in us after accepting Jesus into our lives.  But, if a Christian has repented and has been forgiven, then who are we to hold their sin against them?  Jesus died for every sin, and that includes our own, but it also includes the ones who have offended us.  Can any of us charge anyone with a judgment when Jesus has forgiven them?  No.  We can’t, because in His forgiveness, He removes sin as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). 
    Wait!  But what if the person continues to offend on purpose, or when confronted, refrains from acknowledging, apologizing or mending their ways?  That is when the ministry of mercy is needed.  I wonder what kind of heartbreak it caused God to see His Son on the cross.  His only, righteous Son, dying for a depraved people.  His justice was righteous, but the punishment wasn’t fair.  If it were, the sinful would have died with their sin. 
    Mercy isn’t fair.  Which may be why forgiveness is so hard.  When we have been offended, we want justice, but not the reconciliation.  However, God desires reconciliation with justice.  That is why Jesus came.  Righting the wrong, but also redeeming the one who committed the wrong.  
    If we, ourselves, were not saved by works, then neither are other people.  Including the people who offended us.  Their righteousness in Jesus is not based on their efforts.  If we want to be forgiven, then when people have hurt us, we should forgive them (for if they understood they hurt us the way they did, they would want to repent and be forgiven).  It is amazing how quick we talk about living by grace, but when injured, we dive for judgment.  We may even say things like, “If they were a REAL Christian, they wouldn’t do that.” 
    But if we are holding someone’s sin against them, if we refuse to be merciful in our attitude, then how much of our interactions are living by sight compared to living by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7)?  As mentioned before, we are apt to still sin, in this present body.  And that includes us…the ones who have been offended.  Because just as much as we have been hurt, we have hurt others.  We all will give an account for ourselves at the end of time (2 Corinthians 5:10).  To refuse forgiveness is to say that my judgment is more right than God’s.  And yet, the power of Jesus’ sacrifice is that we aren’t regarded according to our flesh, but with His Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). If a Christian sins, it is evidence that we are still in this world.  We can still sin, but what amazing love it is that we can come to Christ and He forgives (see Romans 7 and 1 John 2:1-2).  This is great news for us!  But this promise of forgiveness is for everyone (“If anyone sins…” - 1 John 2:1).  If Christ doesn’t impute trespasses against His bride, then we cannot, either (2 Corinthians 5:19).  We cannot define someone by their sin if Jesus has redeemed them. 
    We wrestle with this, because in our black and white understandings, we think that we have to have justice manifested before we can be merciful.  But what if mercy is justice + reconciliation?  What if we trusted that God is taking care of the justice (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30), and all we had to worry about is the reconciliation?  This doesn’t mean that individuals who have hurtful habits should willy-nilly have free access to our lives.  If justice hasn’t been manifested (i.e. consequences, but more importantly, a repentant heart), it isn’t safe to let them in.  It is an enablement.  But someone who refrains from trusting in the salvation work that Jesus paid for will fail to be reconciled, because they will already lack the freedom that is found in grace.
      Mercy is an attitude.  Having a merciful spirit frees us to trust that God is continually at work in peoples’ hearts, including those who have hurt us.  It means trusting Him to do the just work, and we can focus on reconciliation.  We can pray for the ones who have sinned against us (that they can be free from deception, as well as blessing them); we can genuinely interact with them in a kind manner.  Finally, and most importantly, we can communicate the word of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:19-21), because we understand the forgiveness that Jesus gave us.  If Jesus had shown mercy to us, and His desire is to show mercy to those who have offended us (and have sinned against Him!), then shall we not be merciful, too?

*In many traditional societies, a person found guilty of adultery had their nose cut-off, as a form of a scarlet letter to let the entire village know what their crime was.

Abortion: Finding Real Solutions

   

Abortion.  It is a word that triggers many to take sides and get into heated arguments.  It is not a topic that seems to fall to the wayside without a battle first being fought.  The word itself demands a reaction and a response.  One must choose a side.  Those who support the action profess that abortion protects women’s reproductive rights and allows women to choose how to plan their lives at the timing that they determine best.  Legalizing the procedure protects women’s safety.  Other advocacies for abortion include lack of finances to support a family and in the case of rape.  However, as much as  the intention is meant to serve the woman in a greater span on family planning, abortion fails to serve as a probable solution for the needs for which it is claimed to serve. When it comes to serving a community’s needs, there is often a problem for discussion and a solution for which to meet that problem.  The goal is that the problem can be decreased and eventually ceased.  However, as abortion has legalized, the problems for which it serves still persist.  Furthermore, abortions have served to be an immediate response, but do not allocate for the long-term effects for which it means to minimize.  It has already been discussed in many ways the negative effects of abortion concerning physically, emotionally and mentally.  Detailed accounts can be found in the book Prolife Feminism (Derr, M. K., MacNair, R., & Naranjo-Huebl, L. (2005). Prolife feminism: Yesterday and Today. Feminism and Nonviolence Studies Association.).      I want to assure you that I do not mean to condemn anyone.  I understand that women who make this decision, do so, not necessarily because they want it, but they believe they need to in their specific situations.  Nevertheless, I must be honest in my belief that abortion is a sin, but it also does not help the people that clinics argue they mean to help.  In the process, I hope to suggest alternative solutions and advocate how they are indeed better options. 

     Arguments for abortions, rebuttals, and alternative solutions

1. Rape/incest: I have compassion on the woman who finds herself having been violated in the most vulnerable way.  No way, in shape or form, should she have been forced to perform against her will.  To know that this form of intrusion can and does happen in families describes the deepest sense of betrayal.  If a child, she is not ready to become a mother.  A woman may fear that the child may remind her of the trauma.  However, even if an abortion occurs, that girl or woman will be left with the memory.  Despite a fetus no longer present, dreams may turn into nightmares.  And an abortion can never remove those. As an alternate choice, use the funding that would be forwarded to abortion clinics to provide for free mental health and trauma counseling.  This will help with the actual trauma, rather than adding to it.

2. Out of financial risk: Some women have families.  Others may be starting out.  However, an unplanned pregnancy coming at a time when the finances are limited only exacerbate what anxieties may already be present.  I cannot deny that it would seem as an easy fix to just remove an extra stressor.   Humans predominantly deal with stress by removing the indicator.  And I know that a decision toward abortion would not be taken lightly; especially for a woman who is already a mother.  However, an alternative solution is modifying the welfare system.  Instead of income informing an all or none recipient decision, I would suggest that we do some form of a graduated system.  If a household increases their income $100, decrease the assistance by a certain percentage.  I am not an economist, but I believe this decision would reward and support individuals who are trying to improve their lives.

3. “It’s just not time”:  If you take the time to read Prolife Feminism, you will find an interesting note about what the early feminists argued as a means against abortion.  Many said that women should be in charge of their own family planning, instead of succumbing to the demands of men’s sex drives and thus providing to be pregnant over and over, beyond what their physical capabilities can sustain.  As I read this book, I found it ironic that the argument against abortion was subsequently the means for which to argue for it.  Of the three arguments, the third makes the majority of the abortions in America.  Whether it is a teen or a woman who wants to continue in her career choices, “It’s just not the right time” is the advocacy.  I understand that plans are made and life happens.  Often, I think that many people try their darndest to keep with those plans, no matter what.  However, this is the option that receives the most criticism from the pro-life community.  This being: if you choose to have sex, you carry the risk of getting pregnant.  Children sometimes result.  If it is not time or if someone feels ill-prepared, there are organizations that can help teach how to mother.  If that is not an option, adoption is also available.  I wish adoption was more affordable, but there are many couples who physically can’t have children, and are willing to care for a child.  (P.S.  I FULLY advocate that men should also take responsibility for when they are fathering a child.  No way should women be the taking the brunt when it takes two for a child to be produced.)

     When I took a feminism course in college, I asked about adoption as an alternative for abortion. The class became so quiet, you could hear a pin drop.  Then someone spoke, “You would subject a woman to care for a child for nine months and then expect her to give up that kid?!  Do you know what kind of emotional trauma that would result?”  I could have replied, “Well, I bet it would beat the emotional trauma of killing their child.”  I didn’t say anything.  I don’t think I would have won the argument, and I think all I would have done is just shut down doors and make things really heated.  Right or wrong, I chose to offer the choice and let others take their stance and thoughts. 
    Why couldn’t therapy be free for rape victims?  Why couldn’t the welfare system be modified to support families who are trying to work?  Why does adoption have to be such a dirty word?  Modern day adoption includes closed and open; so a mother can choose to be a part of their child’s life later on.  Other solutions can be made available - ones that address the actual need, and not add other trauma to the person.  But the fight is not over these other options.  The legal fight is over abortion, specifically.  As if, if abortion were to be made illegal, no other options could help women.  Nevertheless, this is not the case in reality.
    Abortion is a highly debated topic, because there is the question of the personage of the fetus.  One side advocates that the womb is holding a living being; another side charges that it is just cells, and therefore is just unwanted added tissue.  However, science has found that it is distinctly two separate beings present in a pregnant woman.  Moreover, they have found heartbeats and physical features forming at the earliest stages of development. 
    As for my personal stance, it is a child.  There is a being, which means there is a right to life, and therefore a right to live.  I hope you read that last sentence slowly.  I not only advocate for a baby to be born.  I also support the family who is also having the child.  From the girl being raped, to the woman who can’t pay bills or even a woman who found herself pregnant after a one-night stand…I am willing to participate in helping where needed.  And many Christians and other pro-lifers would say the same, if one were to ask them. 
    I know that many have heard the condemnation.  They hear “murderer” and feel they can’t come forward.  Even if they regret a previous abortion.  But may I let you in on a little secret?  Jesus warned that if any of us have hatred in our hearts, then we have committed murder.  So…can I judge a woman who has had an abortion?  No.  For in my heart, I have murdered.  But just like Jesus has worked in me to forgive, I believe that the approach to abortion can change.  Abortion needs not be the prominant solution to trauma or unplanned pregnancies.  I believe that as a nation and as communities, we can gather around women who are in unforeseen circumstances and help them.  Women can dream again, they can raise their families, finish school and have careers. 
    But as the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.  So, let us no longer leave girls and women in positions where they have to take care of the problem they encounter, alone. After all, they are part of our community.  And coming from the pro-life community, I want to apologize for any times we have condemned women who have found themselves in accepting abortion, and disregarding the humanity of these women.  I can only imagine being in a place where death is seen as a hope.  And I wish that we could have surrounded you more warmly.

     I do not have a statement of how I survived an abortion.  I was a scandal baby (i.e. born out of wedlock), but my mother decided to have me.  No hesitation.  In fact, my parents were still shacking up when my mom found out about me.  We haven’t always gotten along.  High school sucked, since we fought daily.  But the moment I knew my mom loved me was when she told me (at age 22) that she still would have had me, even if my dad left.  I was a scandal, but I was a blessing.  I’m thankful for my life and can see God’s hand more and more at work when I reflect. 
    I do not mean to bring condemnation, but I hope I may stir conviction.  Children are worth having, no matter the circumstance.  I wish our nation (and as I write this, I am reminded that globally, women probably struggle with lack of rights and support more than American women) could have better social, emotional and economical supports for women.  But as with any problem, it is crucial to start looking for solutions.  Solutions that actually work.
   

Man Trouble

     

 There was a time I believed that God showed me my future husband.  I held onto this man (because I just so happened to have met him) expecting that he would want to go after Jesus like I did, and hoping that he would repent of the compromises he made in his life.  Thing is, he knew he would never deny the existence of God, but he didn’t want to have Jesus be Lord over his life.  As of last year, I finally let him go.  Not just ignore him and wait for God’s timing on when “my” man and I could finally be united.  I told God, “Maybe You really did show me my future husband.  And if it plays out as such, I will be grateful and delightfully surprised.  However, communicating with this man on the basis of what I hoped him to be is only a form of lust.  It is better and healthier to pray for ____, and if I date other men, genuinely interested and not from a perspective of what he can do for me…Even if I break up, if I learn how to have a healthy outlook on dating, that would be better.”  I let him go as my fulfillment as a wife.  He still comes to my mind, but I have learned to pray for him as a friend who genuinely cares about him and not for him to feel a void in my life.     I am a woman and still single.  And even though it seems like opportunities are increasing, I can’t help but notice that I also have carried since junior high (seriously!) certain expectations concerning relationships and how to go about them.   I have discussed how easy it is to blur lines when it comes to sexual purity, but what I am finding is the internal pressures on how to date.  You know…the first step in how to build a repore' with someone you’re interested in.      In the last couple of months, I have had two men from a small group present an interest in wanting to get to know me.  One offered a possibility of a dinner, but there hasn’t been any subsequent discussion.  Recently, a second man asked for coffee.  The previous Tuesday he mentioned that he liked talking with me.  Thing is, I don’t have an interest in either of these men.  I was polite in turning down the opportunities, and yet, I felt like I had to internally convince myself that it was okay to say no.  In the name of giving him a chance, I have been told to say yes.  “Even if it ends up just being a friend.”      Doesn’t it mislead a man if I say “yes” when I actually have no interest?  Must I justify my reasons?  Whether it be age or not being physically attracted or lack of knowing the person, do I have to go on that coffee date?  I wonder why this concerns me so, is because there is a part of me that is just rebellious in nature (i.e. tell me to do something, and I will do the opposite).  Or, I wonder if it bothers me, because in my codependent habits, if I differed with someone, it is somehow my fault.  And lastly, perhaps the most drastic of fear, I wonder if pushing women to take a man’s offer, despite personal (lack of) interest almost pervades into the rape culture we see in the United States.  (Telling women that they should say yes to a date can communicate that they should agree to other romantic gestures.  That is dangerous.  And perhaps I am just taking this to an extreme.  But as a woman, it feels so painful to say yes when everything else says no.)     I am not a man.  However, if I was one…if I asked a girl out and she wasn’t interested, I would rather her be more upfront.  Let me be in the friendzone, instead of stirring up my hopes or imaginations.  As a woman, I don’t want to feel obligated in the name of “God knows what we need” (yes, this was brought up to me while one of the men was interested in me).     Back when I was in junior high, I was basically told that I should wait for the “one” and then date.  I no longer agree that this is healthy.  Even asking for God to show me my future husband came from a place of fearing that He hadn’t prepared someone for me; it was out of fear that no man would actually choose me.  I wanted God to do the work of the courtship instead of having to mitigate it myself.  It was solely selfish.  From my experience with a man asking to have sex with me and would pay $100 to video it, I am actually more guarded about getting to know men in a deeper context, anyway.     I wasn’t traumatized that I cannot build relationships with men.  But I won’t initiate a friendship, unless it is done so within a group of mutual friends.  And frankly, as I process on how to walk out sexual purity while having an interest in dating, is building a friendship first a bad place to start?  I can get to know his character, personality, his relationship with God, etc… Even someone that I may not have been initially interested in may in time become an interest, because I grew in friendship with boundaries intact.      People may argue that a date can be used for that.  I can get to know someone and eventually be interested, even if I wasn’t at the beginning.  But I know how my mind and heart are wired.  I can become extremely open about my thoughts, and have said too much too early.  My love languages are words of affirmation and quality time, and so I know that things will stir in my heart quite easily.  However, and most definingly - if I am interested, I will look forward to the date, but if I am not interested, then I will be dreading it to come to pass.     This is the point I am at now.  I am growing in my personal convictions, and though I do not want to ignore godly wisdom (from which I can learn from Christian couples I trust), I am realizing that I am an individual who has had experiences and found that I need to walk this dating thing with Jesus like any other thing.  When I was nervous about the second guy asking for a date, I felt like God had told me, “You don’t have to be attracted to him.”  That was literally the pressure that I was feeling from this!  And yet, God allowed me to say no.       The thing is, God knows my life and what it will entail.  He knows who my husband is.  And if something doesn’t work out, then I can trust God that it was either not the man or not the time.  As I saw from a Sons and Daughters clip, “God is not going to give you someone else’s spouse.”  This pressure - even found in the church - to accept an invitation despite personal interest or conviction (because, as my dad has told me, not every man is made for every woman and vice versa) is damaging.  It brings a level of uncomfortableness and pressure that is not needed.  Moreover, the church needs to stop the idea that every person needs to be in a relationship.     At this time, I think a good boundary for a romantic interest is 1) Meet 2) Get to know in a social setting and 3) Go on a one-on-one date.  Friendzone men stay at step 2.  However, I am wondering about two other men I have met from Sunday church.  I could see wanting to get to know them.  What is amazing is though I like talking to each of them, I have not found myself crushing on them, nor being infatuated with them.  If either asked me for coffee, I wonder if I can allow myself to say yes.  I see courtship as an opportunity to care for a man’s heart and invite God into the relationship, whether it remains a friendship or becomes more.  I am adamant for physical boundaries and continuing group hang-outs to provide accountabilities.  But I am letting go of the pressure to find the “one”.  There are desires, but I have given God full access to the romantics, and I am trusting that God is guiding me in my spirit, thoughts and emotions, as well as my future.