In late August 2018, I was honored and privileged to be a part of the \u201cGrace Without Borders\u201d Women’s Ministries conference in Oklahoma City at the Heartland Retreat Center. I went as part of a ministry team representing Royal Home Ministries (a division of Falcon Children\u2019s Home and Family Services) from Falcon, North Carolina. You can read all about RHM, their history, goals, career planning, counseling services, and so many other available programs by visiting their website [falconchildrenshome.com] and clicking on Royal Home. Very simply put, RHM is a haven for young women and girls, ages 13 to 21, who have chosen life over abortion for their babies. It is RHM’s commitment to serve these precious young ladies during their time of crisis. The maternity, mothers, and babies programs offer new beginnings and new hope for both mother and child.<\/p>\n
Although I\u2019m not on staff at RHM, I do serve on the Advisory Council and have been doing ministry on their behalf for more than 20 years. Whenever I have the opportunity, I love to share the unique blessing that is the Royal Home. While at the women\u2019s conference, I was given the chance to do that, and I humbly obliged. However, along with the story of RHM, there is another story — It\u2019s my story, and the story of so many other women, young and old alike, that I\u2019ve encountered through the years in this ministry.<\/p>\n
Imagine a young girl, who did not have a life-affirming Royal Home to run to. Instead, she went to a place that offered a different kind of help, the abortion clinic. Too many women, including myself, have fallen prey to the lies of the abortion industry. The clinic counselors cover up the truth of the procedure. They try to hide the negative effects it can, and will, have on the very ones they claim to care about and want to help. The abortion clinic is nothing more than a death trap. Death to your baby and to you. I walked in one person and hobbled out as someone completely different.<\/p>\n
Society is made to believe that abortion is a solution, when in fact, it\u2019s the beginning of the greatest emotional, mental, and spiritual suffering that you\u2019ll ever encounter. Once the realization of your action settles in, the anguish you will experience is unimaginable. There are also physical issues that can remain long after the procedure. They will constantly remind you of the choice you made, while you, once again, search for helpful solutions. Let me be perfectly clear and say, that many girls and young women are pushed into this situation, but are then left to deal with the aftermath alone, many times with no one to even talk to or confide in.<\/p>\n
For myself, the emotional and mental despair came quickly, as I tried desperately to hide this from my parents, and the folks at the church where we pastored. Surprised? Maybe I should have opened with that. I am the daughter and granddaughter of Pentecostal Holiness ministers. I grew up in the church and have been immersed in it all my life. The young man who got me pregnant was the son of a PH minister as well.<\/p>\n
Let this be a teachable moment for church leaders, senior and youth pastors, teachers, women\u2019s ministries, girls\u2019 ministries directors, and every other facet of the church organization and body. Abortion-minded girls and post-abortive women are in our churches, sitting on our pews, and suffering in silence. There is no age or denomination discrimination when it comes to abortion. Just because you don\u2019t know about it doesn\u2019t mean that it hasn’t touched the life of an individual very close to you. The fact is, you are not aware of their silent struggle\u2014 the all-encompassing grief, anguish, despair, heartache, hopelessness, fear, guilt, shame, self-loathing and suicidal thoughts (just to mention a few)\u2014 they bear alone. To tell anyone is to open themselves up to possible condemnation, judgmental attitudes, and gossip from the very ones who should be lifting them up through prayer and encouragement. What they need is to be shown the very compassion, mercy, grace, and love that Christ has shown each one of us who belong to Him.<\/p>\n
In our human thought process, we have trouble remembering that in God\u2019s eyes, there are no degrees of sin. According to His word (Romans 8:10,23), \u201cThere is none righteous, no, not one\u2026\u201d and \u201cFor all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.\u201d Simply stated, we are all on the \u201clevel playing field\u201d of life. Although they may be of different sizes and shapes, some light and some heavy, we all have a burden of baggage. If we\u2019re honest with ourselves, we carried it with us far too long, until we found the strength to carry it one final time to the cross, to the feet of Jesus and left the burden there. I was finally able to do that after many years.<\/p>\n
The painful knowledge of my choice held me captive and almost destroyed me. Satan wanted me gone, but God had a different plan. His plan and promise (Jeremiah 29:11), \u201cFor I know the plans I have for you declare the Lord\u2026\u201d has sustained me and kept me in this ministry for more than 20 years. It was His plan for my healing and restoration that enables me to speak about the very thing that almost brought about my destruction. This ministry is God\u2019s lifeline to me and to others through my story.<\/p>\n
The post-abortive individuals need to hear from the pulpit that there is forgiveness, restoration, and healing at the feet of Jesus. They need to feel safe enough to fall on their faces and weep before an Almighty God on the altars of our churches, or some other secure place until they find peace and deliverance from the hurt of their past.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been told by many women, \u201cYou just stood there and told my story, and I\u2019ve never told anyone,\u201d or \u201cNo one talks about this in church. We hear about sexual abuse, adultery, and other sins, but we never hear about this.\u201d This breaks my heart more than I can put in words. I beg you church, start a dialogue from your pulpits, and let these precious souls know that there is hope, healing, restoration, and freedom through the blood of Jesus. Speak truth into their lives, so John 8:32 can become their reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cAND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.\u201d To God be the glory, for great things he has done! Amen!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":4679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1,1060,446],"tags":[1064,1063,928,378,1061,1062],"class_list":{"0":"post-4676","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-discipleship-ministries","8":"category-general","9":"category-justice","10":"category-phpp","11":"tag-april","12":"tag-forgiveness","13":"tag-justice","14":"tag-royal-home","15":"tag-terri-prestwood","16":"tag-truth","17":"entry"},"title_es":"Verdad = Libertad","content_es":"A fines de agosto de 2018, tuve el honor y el privilegio de ser parte de la Conferencia de Ministerios de Mujeres \"Grace Without Borders\" en la ciudad de Oklahoma en el Centro de Retiro Heartland. Fui parte de un equipo de ministerio que representa a Royal Home Ministries (una divisi\u00f3n de Falcon Children's Home and Family Services) de Falcon, Carolina del Norte. Puede leer todo sobre RHM, su historia, objetivos, planificaci\u00f3n de carrera, servicios de asesoramiento y muchos otros programas disponibles visitando su sitio web [falconchildrenshome.com] y haciendo clic en Royal Home. En pocas palabras, RHM es un refugio para mujeres j\u00f3venes y ni\u00f1as, de 13 a 21 a\u00f1os, que han elegido la vida antes que el aborto para sus beb\u00e9s. El compromiso de RHM es servir a estas preciosas se\u00f1oritas en su momento de crisis. Los programas de maternidad, madres y beb\u00e9s ofrecen nuevos comienzos y nuevas esperanzas tanto para la madre como para el ni\u00f1o. Aunque no formo parte del personal de RHM, soy miembro del Consejo Asesor y he estado haciendo el ministerio en su nombre durante m\u00e1s de 20 a\u00f1os. Ellos son y han sido una de mis pasiones desde el inicio de este ministerio. Cada vez que tengo la oportunidad, me encanta compartir la bendici\u00f3n \u00fanica que es el Hogar Real. Mientras asist\u00eda a la conferencia de mujeres, tuve la oportunidad de hacer precisamente eso y le agradec\u00ed humildemente. Sin embargo, junto con la historia de RHM, hay otra historia. Es mi historia, y la historia de tantas otras mujeres, j\u00f3venes y mayores, que he encontrado a trav\u00e9s de los a\u00f1os en este ministerio. Imag\u00ednate a una chica joven, que no ten\u00eda un hogar real que afirmara su vida para correr. En cambio, fue a un lugar que ofrec\u00eda un tipo diferente de ayuda, la cl\u00ednica de abortos. Demasiadas mujeres, incluy\u00e9ndome a m\u00ed, han sido v\u00edctimas de las mentiras de la industria del aborto. Los consejeros cl\u00ednicos encubren la verdad del procedimiento. Intentan ocultar los efectos negativos que puede y tendr\u00e1 sobre los mismos que dicen preocuparse y que quieren ayudar. La cl\u00ednica de abortos no es m\u00e1s que una trampa mortal. Muerte a tu beb\u00e9 ya ti. Entr\u00e9 en una persona y sal\u00ed como alguien completamente diferente. La sociedad est\u00e1 obligada a creer que el aborto es una soluci\u00f3n, cuando, de hecho, es el comienzo del mayor sufrimiento emocional, mental y espiritual que jam\u00e1s encontrar\u00e1. Una vez que la realizaci\u00f3n de su acci\u00f3n se establece, la angustia que experimentar\u00e1 es inimaginable. Tambi\u00e9n hay problemas f\u00edsicos que pueden permanecer mucho tiempo despu\u00e9s del procedimiento. Le recordar\u00e1n constantemente la elecci\u00f3n que hizo, mientras que, una vez m\u00e1s, busca soluciones \u00fatiles. Perm\u00edtame ser perfectamente claro y decir, que muchas ni\u00f1as y mujeres j\u00f3venes son empujadas a esta situaci\u00f3n, pero luego se les deja lidiar solo con las consecuencias, muchas veces sin nadie con quien ni siquiera hablar o confiar. Para m\u00ed, lo emocional y la desesperaci\u00f3n mental lleg\u00f3 r\u00e1pidamente, mientras trataba desesperadamente de ocult\u00e1rselo a mis padres y a la gente de la iglesia donde pastoreamos. \u00bfSorprendido? Tal vez deber\u00eda haber abierto con eso. Soy la hija y nieta de los ministros de santidad pentecostal. Crec\u00ed en la iglesia y he estado inmersa en ella toda mi vida. El joven que me dej\u00f3 embarazada tambi\u00e9n era hijo de un ministro de salud p\u00fablica. Deje que este sea un momento de ense\u00f1anza para los l\u00edderes de la iglesia, los pastores principales y j\u00f3venes, las maestras, los ministerios de mujeres, las directoras de ministerios de ni\u00f1as y cualquier otra faceta de la organizaci\u00f3n y el cuerpo de la iglesia. Las ni\u00f1as con mentalidad de aborto y las mujeres post abortivas est\u00e1n en nuestras iglesias, sentadas en nuestros bancos y sufriendo en silencio. No hay discriminaci\u00f3n por edad o denominaci\u00f3n cuando se trata del aborto. Solo porque no lo sepa, no significa que no haya tocado la vida de una persona muy cercana a usted. El hecho es que usted no es consciente de su lucha silenciosa: la pena que abarca todo, la angustia, la desesperaci\u00f3n, la angustia, la desesperanza, el miedo, la culpa, la verg\u00fcenza, el autodesprecio y los pensamientos suicidas (solo por mencionar algunos). . Decirle a alguien es abrirse a posibles condenas, actitudes cr\u00edticas y chismes, de parte de quienes deben elevarlos a trav\u00e9s de la oraci\u00f3n y el est\u00edmulo. Lo que necesitan es que se les muestre la misma compasi\u00f3n, misericordia, gracia y amor que Cristo nos ha mostrado a cada uno de nosotros que le pertenecemos. En nuestro proceso de pensamiento humano, tenemos problemas para recordar que a los ojos de Dios, no hay grados de pecado. De acuerdo con Su palabra (Romanos 8: 10,23), \"No hay justo, ni aun uno ...\" y \"Por cuanto todos pecaron y est\u00e1n destituidos de la gloria de Dios\". En pocas palabras, todos estamos en el \" campo de juego nivelado \"de la vida. Aunque pueden ser de diferentes tama\u00f1os y formas, algunas ligeras y otras pesadas, todos tenemos una carga de equipaje. Si somos honestos con nosotros mismos, lo llevamos con nosotros demasiado tiempo, hasta que encontramos la fuerza para llevarlo por \u00faltima vez a la cruz, a los pies de Jes\u00fas y dejamos la carga all\u00ed. Finalmente pude hacer eso despu\u00e9s de muchos a\u00f1os. El doloroso conocimiento de mi elecci\u00f3n me mantuvo cautivo y casi me destruy\u00f3. Satan\u00e1s quer\u00eda que me fuera, pero Dios ten\u00eda un plan diferente. Su plan y promesa (Jerem\u00edas 29:11), \"Porque s\u00e9 que los planes que tengo para ti declaran al Se\u00f1or ...\" me ha sostenido y me ha mantenido en este ministerio durante m\u00e1s de 20 a\u00f1os. Fue su plan para mi sanaci\u00f3n y restauraci\u00f3n lo que me permite hablar sobre lo que casi provoc\u00f3 mi destrucci\u00f3n. Este ministerio es el sustento de Dios para m\u00ed y para otros a trav\u00e9s de mi historia. Los individuos post-abortivos necesitan escuchar desde el p\u00falpito que hay perd\u00f3n, restauraci\u00f3n y sanaci\u00f3n a los pies de Jes\u00fas. Necesitan sentirse lo suficientemente seguros como para caer de bruces y llorar ante un Dios Todopoderoso en los altares de nuestras iglesias, o en alg\u00fan otro lugar seguro hasta que encuentren la paz y la liberaci\u00f3n del dolor de su pasado. Muchas mujeres me dijeron: \"Usted se qued\u00f3 all\u00ed y cont\u00f3 mi historia, y nunca le he contado a nadie\" o \"nadie habla de esto en la iglesia\". Escuchamos sobre abuso sexual, adulterio y otros pecados, pero nunca escuchamos sobre esto \u201d. Esto me rompe el coraz\u00f3n m\u00e1s de lo que puedo expresar. Te ruego, iglesia, comienza un di\u00e1logo desde tus p\u00falpitos y deja que estas preciosas almas sepan que hay esperanza, sanidad, restauraci\u00f3n y libertad a trav\u00e9s de la sangre de Jes\u00fas. Habla la verdad en sus vidas, por lo que Juan 8:32 puede convertirse en su realidad. \u201cY USTEDES SABER\u00c1N LA VERDAD Y LA VERDAD LE HACER\u00c1 LIBERARSE\u201d. \u00a1A Dios sea la gloria, por las grandes cosas que ha hecho! \u00a1\u00a1Am\u00e9n!!","author_name":"Terri Prestwood","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/04\/Truth-Freedom.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-1dq","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}