Romans 8:3
No power in the sky above or in the earth below-- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our LORD.
~ GRACE4US - Blog ~
By: Esther N. Smith
“Uh-huh, so what’s your stance on abortion?” he asked me with hands on his hips as though he was ready to defensively respond.
“…hmmm, what is my stance on abortion? Well, my ‘stance’ is ‘grace’,” I said. “Grace??” – he asked with a baffled look, and now shifting his weight to one leg and lowering his hands, keeping one thumb hinged to the cuff of his front pocket. He kept drawing circles in the dirt with the toe of his boot, then slowly looked up at me with an eyebrow peeked, a look of uncertainty. “Grace, huh? So, what does that even mean? Grace? Why do you say your stance is ‘grace’? Isn’t abortion wrong? Isn’t it murder? How does grace fit into all that?” – he said as he returned to his defensive stance with hands back to his hips.
As I listened and watched his facial expressions change, I took a slight breath while silently asking God to give His words. “Well,” I said, “I was asked what my stance was on abortion, and I am not here to ‘take a stance’ perse, rather I am here as a humble servant of Christ so others may experience His gift of grace. So, my ‘stance’ is grace. God has called me to tell others that He has so much grace just waiting to be received. He has said to me to love them, care for them as He does. So, yep- that’s my stance, ‘grace’.”
He dropped his gaze back to the dirt, with the warmth of the sun against his back, he restarted the circles with the toe of his boot. We stood there for what seemed to be forever in quietness, with sounds of a mockingbird nearby calling out to the world. I just silently prayed, “Lord, be here with him. Give me the capacity to see, to speak, to be Your conduit. Draw his heart to you Lord, for your glory.” Then, he takes off is hat and wipes his forehead and tilts his head looking back at me. Quietly, with a cracking voice that now has a slight rasp to it, he musters up a whisper— “It was her body and her choice”, again he spoke with what was now a little more audible – yet still raspy voice and now with tears sneaking their way down his cheek.
He repeated over and over– “it was her body, her choice.” “She just kept telling me that it was her body and her choice.” “You see, we were so young, still teens and already had a baby not even a year old.” “We didn’t have any money—gosh we were so poor. Only got married because we got pregnant, and then we were pregnant again. What were we supposed to do?!” now with more tears finding their way down the paths set in motion, he said, “She just told me that I really don’t get a say; that it’s her body and her choice.” “So, you see, we got a divorce and both of us are living our own lives and remarried, but I still wonder about that.”
As I watched this stranger that I had just met, share his heart with me, I prayed for God to help me with compassionate words and for His Holy Spirit to comfort this man. It was while he gathered his composure that I said to him, “that had to have been so hard on the both of you. How did you feel back then hearing her say those words to you?” He said, “I felt alone; like I was useless, and had no right to feel or say anything. Like there was nothing I could do.”
I then said to him, “I can’t imagine how that is as the father in this situation-- but I can from the mother’s side. As I too, have made the choice to abort. I can see your pain and grief, and I can hear some of the anger too.” “Yeah, I’m angry! I didn’t say no to her like I should’ve. I just didn’t think I could,” he said. “Wow! Now see!” I said “that there was courageous of you. To say and acknowledge that you could have said no. Do you know about the grace I mentioned earlier?” I asked him.
His response was, “yes, I do. But I still wonder if His grace applies to this.” I responded with, “it absolutely does! Only we try to imagine or put limits on our God, but He said in His word that His grace is sufficient. All those who are weary and heavy laden to come to Him and He will make your burden light.” “So, may I pray with you?” I asked him one last question. He said, “yes! Please!”
Right there in that warm sun, now with circles in the dirt smoothed over, we prayed. A prayer that I will forever cherish.
It’s those kinds of moments that we are given opportunity to live filled with love following the example of Christ, rather than living as though our painful pasts define us. Just as that man smiled and said thanks for listening and the prayer, I watched a man who was bold and matter-of-fact transform before my eyes to a man humbled by grace. Christ stands ready to pour His grace into all of us right where we are, if only we will receive.
Perhaps you can relate to the elderly man who timidly shared his heart, or perhaps you can relate to him when he was still boldly holding up his mask of protection for his heart that was hard and full of fear, guilt and shame? Or maybe you are in a season where you have surrendered your secret to the LORD and He continues to bring you through healing. Wherever you are, know that Christ Jesus has been praying for you to the Father for your freedom from whatever it is that binds you.
Jesus came to set us captives free so we can be reconciled to the Father for His glory.
My prayer for you is that you will feel the very presence of Jesus in your life, that you will be able to accept His grace for you right where you are. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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