Women Are Brave and Capable of Doing Hard Things
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I remember reading this article by Frederica Mathewes-Green a few years ago, and this thought stuck with me:
“Nobody wants to have an abortion. And if nobody wants to have an abortion, why are women doing it, 2,800 times a day? If women are doing something 2,800 times daily that they don’t want to do, this is not liberation we’ve won.”
Is abortion really empowerment? No. No it is not. Telling a woman she cannot succeed unless she kills the life that’s inside of her... that’s not empowerment. That’s victimization. And there is a big difference between the two.
I want to be a person who tells women that even though the right choice might be the hardest choice at the moment, that they are BRAVE and CAPABLE of doing hard and right things.
I know what it’s like to have an “unplanned” pregnancy.
I remember seeing that positive pregnancy test at 22 years old, and the first thing that came out of my mouth was an expletive. Even though I was a married woman, I was TERRIFIED. I had no experience with babies. We did not have the money to raise a child. I had dreams and plans of furthering my education and traveling the world that would now have to come to a screeching halt.
But choosing life proved to be the most empowering thing I could have ever done. Choosing to do the hard thing strengthened me in a way that taking the “easy way out” could never have done.
Choosing life brings you face to face with all your insecurities and fears. And being able to look those things in the face and say “you have no power over my decision” is liberating.
Nobody has ever been empowered by doing the easy, more convenient thing.
Nobody has ever been liberated by taking advantage of the voiceless.
Did plantation owners REALLY become strong by beating their slaves?
Did men REALLY become respectable by abusing women?
Do women REALLY become become empowered by choosing to kill their babies in the womb?
We don’t gain our life by taking someone else’s. We gain our life by choosing to do the right thing, even if it means momentarily sacrificing the things that we think we want. In fact, Jesus so powerfully stated it in Matthew 16:25,
“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (NLT)”
and in John 15:13,
“There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. (NLT)”
Women, we were made to give life. It is in our DNA to love and nurture and bring life wherever we go- whether that’s nurturing plants or caring for animals or decorating a space or speaking life to a friend or raising up children.
Women are life-givers, not life-takers.
Abortion lies to us and tells us that “death” is the way to life. And I’m here to say that is a lie from the pit of hell.
Death will never lead you to life. Only life will.
I am and will always be pro-life, pro-love, AND pro-woman. And for that I do not apologize.
For women are BRAVE and CAPABLE of doing hard and right things.
XOXO,
Sarah
PS: If you are looking for a tangible way to change the narrative regarding women’s rights and abortion, check out one of my favorite ministries, Embrace Grace. Embrace Grace partners with single mamas who have found themselves in an unplanned pregnancy and encourages them to BE BRAVE and choose life! It’s not enough to be pro-life, we as the Church must also be pro-love!
Inspired to help mamas be brave and choose life?