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There’s this saying, “You only know what you know, until you know better.” This statement accurately describes my journey of understanding abortion and the pro-life movement.

Seven years ago, when I felt God calling me to be active in the pro-life mission, I had no idea where my calling would lead me. All I knew was that I was to be obedient and try to understand as much as I could about the pro-life movement and information surrounding abortion.

It’s humbling to realize you know so little about something you may be very passionate about. I might have been a bit naïve at first. Ha! But seven years later, I can now say I know so much more about the abortion issue and the pro-life movement. And yet, sometimes, it feels like I have so much more to learn.

Here’s one thing I do know. Saying you’re pro-life is also committing to educating yourself about the overall movement. It’s about relationships and realizing many individuals and organizations have the same mission with a different focus.

As a pro-life Christian, it has been encouraging to witness more church leaders and prominent Christian voices take a stand for life. They are speaking the truth about abortion but with a compassionate, Christ-like response—that holds the life of the mother with equal compassion as the life of her unborn baby.

But I am also concerned about how some of these prominent Christian voices portray the pro-life movement. They often talk about loud, angry voices at abortion clinic sidewalks or hateful signs at Life Marches. An angry mob who doesn’t care about the women and men who face unplanned pregnancies, but only the unborn baby in the womb. That’s not the pro-life community I have come to know.

And then I learn these same Christian leaders have not educated themselves about the pro-life movement. They haven’t joined the thousands and thousands of mostly young marchers at a recent March for Life, and haven’t formed relationships within the community. They don’t know all they could— and they need to know better.

In my seven-year pro-life educational journey, I am always amazed at the compassionate response to abortion:

  • The sidewalk counselors who pray quietly for the women who will enter an abortion clinic that day. Or those who gently approach the mothers and fathers asking if they may talk with them about another alternative to abortion.
  • The pregnancy center employees and volunteers who have face-to-face conversations with abortion-vulnerable women and men. They witness tragic circumstances with crisis pregnancies but are determined to offer a compassionate, loving response no matter the outcome.
  • The numerous pro-life organizations that donate thousands and thousands of needed baby supplies to mothers who choose life and are in desperate need.
  • The church groups who make handmade baby quilts for their local pregnancy center or who donate diapers and formula.
  • The prayer warriors who stand outside government buildings and seek the throne of God over ongoing abortion legislation. Their prayers are silent in voice but passionate in their prayer-focused mission.
  • The ministries who walk through the healing process with post-abortive women and men, offering them freedom and forgiveness through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The list goes on, and I am humbled and encouraged by those who stand together in this movement called pro-life. It has profoundly affected my faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. I understand more about the grace of God because of the relationships I have formed within the pro-life community.

Are there facets of the movement who lack a Christ-like response? Yes, absolutely, but they are a small segment, and they do not represent the pro-life movement as a whole.

So here’s my challenge to pastors, leaders, and prominent Christian voices who are willing to stand openly with the message of life. Educate yourself about the pro-life movement and mission. Don’t set yourself apart before you have all the facts in front of you. Venture outside the walls of your church and denomination to build relationships with pro-life ministries. Join us in January for the March for Life, and witness the overwhelmingly compassionate, Christ-like response to abortion. Please don’t take a self-righteous posture toward the pro-life community. We need unity because even though our focus may differ, our mission is the same. And let’s all agree to keep learning and growing so we know better how to be genuinely pro-life, or Pro Abundant Life (Matthew 28:18-20) as Christ calls us to be!

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Several years ago, when something outrageous happened in our culture, I would get all riled up and head to my laptop to blog my latest opinion on the matter. Like everyone needed to know my perspective? Ha!

I am a writer. It is in my DNA, and this blog was initially created to be a place for my passionate opinions to spill out. You could choose to read or not.

Lately, I feel a little hesitant to blog anymore. It’s not that I don’t have those same impassioned responses to cultural events. It is more of just a sadness that overwhelms me over the society that we live in. Why even waste my time blogging my perspective?

But for what it’s worth, I want to share what is on my heart about the Super Bowl halftime show with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. I witnessed the first several minutes, but then my husband and I decided to turn the channel. We knew where it was headed. We weren’t shocked because this is what our society embraces as entertainment. We can blame Pepsi for allowing that kind of halftime show, but let’s face it, a long time ago we as a culture signed off on allowing the over-sexualization of women—and men—through our televisions. It’s who we have become as a culture.

I don’t want to dwell on the halftime show. You have probably already read enough social media posts and articles about it, ad nauseam. What I do want to convey is a verse in the Bible that speaks to my sorrow over this event.

In Psalm 139:13-14, David writes: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  

Take a minute and read that verse over again. Let it sink in. You were created by God. You are made in His image and are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Friends, we weren’t made for a culture that throws out degrading sexual images at the slightest whim. That’s not the reflection of being fearfully and wonderfully made. And that’s not how we praise our Creator.

As believers in Christ, when you truly understand that God “knit you together in your mother’s womb” and uniquely designed you, then that’s the image you want to reflect—a mirroring that honors the One who loves you as He created you.

Oh, my heart goes out to Shakira and J. Lo, who think their body image and talent have to attract a sexual response from society.

My heart goes out to men and women who feel their worth only comes from their sexuality and desires.

My heart goes out to those who feel that their gender is not determined by God, who so uniquely created them for His purpose.

My heart goes out to those who feel unworthy: trapped in addiction, depression, regrets, and failing to grasp God’s unrelenting love for them.

So here I am writing with sadness because I know how difficult it is to embrace the concept of what “fearfully and wonderfully made” means in our society. I witness it being rejected over and over again because God is rejected.

The enemy will try everything to blind you from that powerful concept of God’s endless love for you. He always distorts your reflection so that you will reject the beauty of your image designed by God, your Creator.

Face it, you are a work of God’s divine hand! You are not a mistake. You have a purpose. God knit you together in your mother’s womb designing your gender, your sexuality, your looks, your emotions, your talents… with YOU in mind!

For me, the halftime show was about the grief I feel for our world. We are lost in a reflection that bears no image to our Creator. We were made for dancing to a different beat to praise and honor the beauty of who we are through the salvation of Jesus Christ. And when you truly grasp the magnitude of that purpose, you’ll honor your image (your body) in a way that doesn’t require anyone to turn the TV channel. Because “fearfully and wonderfully made” is a joyful celebration of God’s design for all of society.

Let’s celebrate and embrace that image, share it with the world— even if it is continually rejected— and more importantly, let’s reflect that in our lives for our children’s sake.

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“Would you like to go pray with me outside Planned Parenthood?” my friend asked.

“Sure,” I responded.

We scheduled a day and time and put it on our calendars.

Now, this is not a regular event for me. I have never prayed outside an abortion clinic even though I support organizations and individuals who do make prayer vigils a part of their mission in reaching women, men, and the unborn.

I was a little hesitant, but I never told my friend. There are many events I have taken part in with my pro-life stance, but prayer on the “frontlines” didn’t seem like my thing.

A Sidewalk View

We arrived at Planned Parenthood and found a young woman handing out pamphlets to those driving into the clinic and quietly praying over each individual as they entered the building. We greeted her on the sidewalk and exchanged names. In our conversation, we find out this twenty-one year old has been praying on the frontlines—in the various states, she has lived in— since she was eight years old.  Wow, I wanted to reach out and hug her with pride, all while bowing my head in shame. It’s taken me forty-some years to stand alongside her.

While all three of us were talking, a woman got out of an Uber car heading toward Planned Parenthood. She was walking past us, and our new friend started to engage her in conversation. The woman was friendly and engaging. We find out she is a local university student, pregnant, and unsure of what she is going to do about her baby. She knows it is a baby. The saved photos on her cell phone reveal she’s been wondering—dreaming—about what her child might look like. She’s black, and the father is white. All four of us react with joy and awe over the beautiful faces of racially mixed babies on her phone.

She wants an ultrasound to find out how far along she is. The price of that ultrasound is an expense above what she can afford. She relays her financial struggles and her history— a refugee orphan, saved from a worn-torn African nation, no family to speak of, English is her second language.

“I have no one!” she repeats several times throughout our conversation.

This woman’s story becomes so much more than that baby inside of her. We are now silently praying for that soul within a soul.

“Do you know,” I interrupt, “that you can get an ultrasound at a pregnancy center for free?”

“For free?” she questions. “No, where is this place?”

We direct her to an address and phone number. She dials the number.

The three of us give her some space as she makes the call, and we begin to pray…

There we were—all four of us—outside Planned Parenthood. One was calling the local pregnancy center; the other three were calling on heaven to open this opportunity of rescue for this woman and her child.

An afternoon appointment was confirmed.

“Do you need a ride?” our young friend asks the student. “I am about to leave and can drive you to the pregnancy center.”

“Yes, please!” the pregnant woman responds with a French accent from her native language.

“May we pray for you?” I boldly get the nerve to ask.

She agrees, and I hold her hand.

I don’t recall the exact words, but I wanted her to know that through our prayers, God sees her. He knows her and understands her doubts, fears, and struggles. We ask God to help this woman and her baby. Her life is valued. She was born into tragic circumstances, yet God has made a way for her. She’ll graduate from a major university with a degree in a couple of months. How’s that for a refugee story!

“God, help this woman to see the hope in her life as the same hope for her baby! Amen.”

The Church’s Mission

We said our goodbyes. My friend and I walked to my car and headed home.

Our young prayer partner drove the woman to her pregnancy center appointment. I have a feeling that sidewalk conversation continued in her car, and a friendship formed. Perhaps, contact numbers were exchanged.

“I have no one,” became I have someone!

Do I think she can graduate and be a mother too? Absolutely!

However, she’s going to need a lot of help and support. Her future is uncertain, and she knows that. And honestly, we know that too.

But the three of us also know the power of the gospel. We see her life, and the life of her child through the hope of Christ. She doesn’t. All she knows is the practical steps she needs to take to afford a living for herself. Can she do it with a baby?

She will get support from the pregnancy center. They do what they do best for women with unplanned pregnancies. But they cannot do it alone.

When I got home, I continued to pray for that woman we encountered outside Planned Parenthood. She did not walk into the doors of that abortion clinic that day. For that, God be the glory!

But what now?

We shared the gospel with her on that sidewalk, but how far does it go?

Does it end at the pregnancy center?

Will the body of Christ—the church— continue the witness of that gospel in her life?

In the pro-life mission, there’s the sidewalk prayers and conversations on the frontlines, the haven of pregnancy centers, and then there’s the church. All three must work together. All three must hold each other accountable to be a witness for the gospel we preach, and the pro-life message we stand upon.

Does the church see itself as an extension of that life mission? An extension of our sidewalk conversation and the pregnancy center’s care of that woman and her baby?

Are we willing to do what we need to do so that a woman will not have to say, “I have no one. I have no choice!”

I am wrecked

I accepted a friend’s invite, and it gave me a sidewalk view. Thank you to all those who continually pray on the frontlines. For all the ways many (and there are many) in the pro-life movement bring a loving, compassionate response to women and men who arrive at an abortion clinic. You are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. A reminder that the true gospel is lived out on the frontlines.

But I am now wrecked with a burden. What has taken me so long, and why am I not there more often?

It is my prayer that more of my brothers and sisters in Christ will venture outside of their church walls on this mission. Maybe not to the sidewalk outside of an abortion clinic, but to be an extension of support and a witness of the gospel that rescues those in need. To not only offer hope in life’s unplanned situations but to provide the eternal hope of abundant life.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. – John 10:10

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Book: No Limits: Embracing the Miraculous  

Author: Donna Sparks

Publisher: Bridge-Logos

 

Does God still perform miracles today?

My friend Donna Sparks answers this question in her new book, No Limits: Embracing the Miraculous. It is an uplifting narrative to encourage Christians that the same God— of the miraculous signs and wonders of Scripture— is alive and well through the work of the Holy Spirit today!

Through the pages of her book, Donna shares personal stories of how God is still performing miracles in the lives of others. She reveals that we serve a limitless God who brings hope to what may seem like a hopeless situation. God still heals the sick. He still restores broken relationships. And God even makes a way when there seems no way for us to go.

What I appreciate most about Donna is her ability to express the Holy Spirit’s role in performing miracles but without the fanaticism that often comes when people talk about God working supernaturally. Her sincere approach is refreshing and needed for those who are still praying for their own miracle.

No Limits will not only encourage your heart, but it will remind you that we still serve a miracle-working God!

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

“God is not just unlimited in His power, He is also unlimited when it comes to time. Time limits us, but it doesn’t limit God.”

 

“Our Lord is extremely creative. He often performs miracles in ways that cannot be attributed to anyone’s assistance or to any force on earth. But He also can demonstrate His miraculous nature and work through people by equipping and using them to bring to others the miracles they need.”

 

“The Holy Spirit is not a dull or silent guide. He desires interaction with us.”

 

 

 

 

For more information about No Limits: Embracing the Miraculous and Donna Sparks go to www.donnasparks.com 

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As a Christian blogger, I made a commitment.  I decided that if I felt I needed to share something that I would first commit it to prayer. And secondly, I’d have a grace standard with the words I write.

But this post has been a struggle for me.

How do I write words that bend towards grace but need to hit a mark that points out a negative aspect of human or sin nature?

Then I realized this post is really about the conflict in me, and I’ll share it for what it’s worth to others.

I’ve had a concern about Christian ministry. In particular, women’s Christian ministry. There is an aspect that I have witnessed that is self-serving. But let me back up a little.

With the achievement of women in society, there is also the influence of women in ministry. Well-known female Bible teachers, leaders, missionaries, pastors, have made a mark in the 21st century. I am grateful for their voices.

God has led many women to platforms that can reach a broad audience to point them to the gospel of Jesus Christ. These leaders share their powerful testimonies that resonate with women in a unique way that cannot be adequately addressed in the same manner by men. There is redeeming value in women’s ministry.

But I have also watched Christian women leaders get caught up in self-promotion. Their platform and their calling started to shift elevating themselves.

As an author, I understand the conflict. Our jobs require self-promotion. But as women of God—called to a higher purpose—we must hold ourselves to the gospel standard.

We do not espouse the same mantra of women’s rights in secular society. Perhaps, we can credit it to the advancement of more females behind the pulpit and the increase in women’s ministries, but we cannot abandon scripture.

John the Baptist said, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30) John’s words demonstrated incredible humility while serving out his ministry and purpose for the kingdom of God.

Ladies, it is so easy to get wrapped up in the seduction of this world. Platforms, attention, success, a social media following: it can get overwhelming. And let’s face it, as females, we tend to gravitate towards our outward appearance in the process of promotion.

But let me share a personal testimony. The more I grow in Christ, the more I value being placed in the background. Because my worth, my confidence, my calling is all wrapped up in putting Him and the gospel message at the center. There is joy and contentment when I am walking in the confidence of Christ alone; outside the need for attention from others.

And isn’t that the purpose-driven message we want to convey as Christian women leaders to other women?

It is not about us. It is about Him!

Now, if I do get an opportunity to be placed on any platform, I make sure to pray that I walk it out— front and center— with humility.

Is it a struggle? Yes! “The heart [my heart] is deceitful above all things…” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Is there a balance to self-promotion and the message God has given to women? Always!

But publicity must always point to the message God has given over the messenger. When you fade to the background, the light of Christ will shine through your ministry.

The redeeming value of Christian women in ministry is that we point to the “One in us, who is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) As women of God, we live with a different viewpoint and calling than the world around us. We seek to serve others above ourselves.

The best way to sum this up is by quoting another blogger:

“…God asks us to remain in Him. He asks us to chase His heart. He asks us to know His Word deeply and to abide in that. Out of that union, that closeness, real fruit will grow, real impact will occur, but even then, it’s all Him. It’s still not about us. There is never a point at which it is ok to raise our own name. We raise His name, like a banner. We are to be after His glory, not our own. We call people to follow Christ, not ourselves.”

Walk it out ladies with balance—and an abundance of grace and humility. We are grateful for God’s calling on your life!

And let’s remember, sisters in Christ, to lift our women leaders in prayer. Walking out that balance is challenging and be ready to offer them a measure of grace as the standard.

 

 

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“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and be trampled by men.” (Matthew 5:13)

I heard a recent situation where a ministry leader disagreed with another leader and informed his staff that there was to be no communication with the leader to whom there was disagreement. No one was to contact or reach out to this gentleman. Not exactly what I would call a community-building effort.

I rolled my eyes and did a little huff!  I commented, “Oh, yes, Christians being so very Christ-like!” (Cue my sarcasm with an eye roll.)

My sarcasm gets the better of me, especially when I hear scenarios like this one. Growing up in ministry, I witnessed my share of conflicts among pastors, ministry leaders, and Christ-followers who failed to be the examples that they should have been when it came to conflict resolution, communication, and “loving your neighbor.”

At times, these relationship conflicts had a profound effect on my understanding of what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I had to separate the Christ I committed to following from flawed Christian leaders who disappointed and hurt others that I deeply cared about.

In other words, I had to mature in Christ and in the counsel of scriptures resisting the temptation to let bitterness set in. I began to see my sins among the backdrop of flawed Christians—even those who were often continually put on a pedestal—and I realized we ALL fall short and need the grace of God.

“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”     (Hebrews 12:15)     

 

But my recent sarcastic comment with eye roll started to prick my heart a bit.

Recently, I have witnessed other breakdowns in relationships and communication: family, marriages, friends, ministry… And mostly all of them have been within the Christian community.

Then I heard a sermon by Tim Keller, and he referenced Matthew 5:13. What does it mean as Christians to be the “salt of the earth?”

According to Keller, salt is a preservative and we—as believers in Christ— are called to preserve the relationships and the community God has given us. That means our family, friends, ministry-family, work-family… the list goes on.

The world is full of conflict and relationships seem to break apart in our society daily, but Pastor Keller reminded us (reminded me), “We [Christians] don’t do that!”

We are called to be set apart, preserve, and restore broken relationships. We are to communicate, and like Keller admonished, “We are not to be turf-conscious.”

Anyone convicted yet, or is it just me?

Here’s the other thing about salt. If you put it on an open wound, then it stings. It burns!

I have let the wounds of insults, rejection, miscommunication, and resentment fill me with pride. I have failed to see my own turf war of their wrong, and I am right!

But it is not about who is right or wrong; it is about humbly being set apart as believers in Christ!

It is about doing the very difficult work of forgiveness and relationship mending because you made a commitment and call yourself a follower of Christ.

I believe this is why Matthew continued with verse 14: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”

If we live like we should and add salt to our relationships; we preserve what God has given us, through each other. We set ourselves apart as Christ-followers in a society of constant turmoil and conflict.

That, my friends, allows us to be “a light to the world.” A beacon calling others—by our example— to the gospel of Jesus Christ because the grace of God flows out of us in restoration instead of bitterness.

As Christians, we will never be perfect, but we can learn to swallow our pride, sting our wounds a bit, and add that preserving mineral that restores health to our relationships.

Life goal: To be saltier, so I can shine God’s light in me— a bit brighter!

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It was one of the last scenes in the movie Unplanned. Abby Johnson, played by actress Ashley Bratcher, had left her job at Planned Parenthood and was at the clinic’s gate boldly sharing with a young woman about protecting the life inside of her. It was while watching that scene when Serena Dyksen felt God telling her; it is now time to share her story.

The release of the film Unplanned—the true-life story of former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson who became a pro-life advocate—has coincided with a wave of pro-life legislation enacted in numerous states, challenging the unconstitutional decision in Roe v. Wade.

Alabama’s recent bold pro-life bill does not include an abortion exception for victims of rape or incest, creating a firestorm of opinions even among those who rally in support of overturning Roe v. Wade.

But if you ask Serena Dyksen, if rape should be an exception to allow an abortion, then she wants her testimony to answer that question.

“Women and men are sharing their opinions about abortion and the rape exception,” Serena commented. “Many are speaking about something they don’t know personally and are speaking on my behalf. But the truth is, they don’t know because they have not been through the trauma that I have experienced. It is time for me to talk about my rape and not let others speak for me.”

Serena’s Planned Parenthood Story

Serena grew up in a dysfunctional home with her parents and one sister.  They moved quite frequently, and Serena remembers if her parents couldn’t pay their bills, then they would pack up and move; sometimes leaving in the middle of the night with only the clothes on their backs.

By the age of eleven years old, Serena’s family had moved next to a relative where she often babysat for their children. The husband in the home began to abuse Serena sexually, and at thirteen-years-old Serena found out she was pregnant.

“I didn’t even know the word abortion,” Serena recalls. “I just remember my parents taking me to a doctor who mentioned that word and my mother saying, ‘Yes, we want an abortion.’ I didn’t understand the proper words to define my body at that age. I just let my mom answer all the questions for me because when you grow up in a dysfunctional family, sometimes the best thing to do is to remain quiet.”

They scheduled the abortion, and Serena remembers the people at the clinic informing her mother to be prepared to be harassed by Christians when they got out of their car. “There was already a lot of tension in my home. But I remember being so stressed that there might be people yelling and screaming at us when we arrived at the clinic.”

When they arrived at the abortion clinic, there was no one outside. “My mom was so relieved that there were no ‘church people’ there,” Serena remembers.

Serena shares her experience that day:

“We enter the clinic, and I was called back to a room alone. I remember the woman talking about clumps and describing abortion. She asked me if I understood, and I nodded yes, but I had no clue what was happening to me. She took me into another room where I lied down. The doctor came in and smiled at me and said, ‘This won’t take long.’ I remember experiencing the most excruciating pain that I had ever felt, and I began to scream. The doctor shouted at me to shut up. A nurse came in and held my hand, but nothing helped to relieve that kind of pain. They then moved me into a room with other women, and I sat down on a recliner chair. When I stood up from that chair, I remember a gush of blood coming out of me. My dad came in and carried me out to the car. After that day, my abortion was never talked about again.”

Trauma and Redemption

photo credit: Serena Dyksen

Several years later, at the age of sixteen, Serena and her boyfriend found out she was pregnant again. “My boyfriend was from a Christian family, and he knew sex outside of marriage was wrong, but when faced with our situation, he asked me what I thought about abortion.” Serena remembers her strong reaction to that painful word, “I said, ‘no way’ and proceeded to tell him my whole tragic story when I was thirteen years old.”

Together, Serena and her boyfriend agreed to not go through with the abortion and then his parents and their church community reached out to them. “Our church surrounded us with so much love and support. We had our daughter and got married. We didn’t know how to parent, but the church helped us. We were broke, but the church supported us,” Serena recalled. “The very people who we were told would be harassing us outside the abortion clinic, were the people who loved and cared for us in our time of need!”

Serena and her husband were blessed with a son two years later, and by the age of twenty-three-years-old, they bought their first home and were living a good life as a family of four.

But their happy home changed when the family experienced a traumatic event concerning their two children. That event triggered something inside of Serena, and she began to fall apart emotionally. “I realized that I had not dealt with my rape and abortion, and it led me to a path of destruction,” Serena acknowledged. “I moved out of the house, leaving my husband and my two children, and turned to drugs and alcohol to numb my pain. My husband was always there for me, but I pushed everyone away. I was running full-speed to hell!”

After drinking heavily one night, Serena came to her breaking point. “People were tired of me reaching out for help and never following through. I had burned all my bridges,” Serena admitted. “I cried out to God in my car in my destitute and drunken state, and He met me there,” she testified. “I felt God telling me to go home, and by God’s grace, I made it home safely with my husband opening the door and welcoming me with open arms!”

That was the last day Serena reached for alcohol or drugs. She went for counseling and began to experience complete healing for all the trauma in her life. One day, while reading the scriptures, the Lord directed her to Lamentations 3:55-58 (NIV): “I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: ‘Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.’ You came near when I called you, and you said, ‘Do not fear.’ You took up my case; you redeemed my life.”

“God set me completely free,” Serena rejoiced! “He changed me forever!”

Life Has Purpose

Looking back on the abuse and trauma of her life, Serena has a very different perspective from the voices that try to speak on her behalf regarding the rape exception for abortion. “There is not a day that goes by where I do not think of that aborted baby. What if always comes to mind,” she questions. “I know God had a purpose for that baby. It doesn’t matter how that baby was conceived. That life had a purpose!”

Serena knows the difficult circumstances surrounding rape and abortion. How do you bring a child into the world from such a tragic event is a question filled with doubt and uncertainty, but Serena wants to use her life story to answer that question with honesty.

“I think it is easy for people to say rape is the worst thing that could happen to me. But they don’t know what I experienced behind those closed doors at Planned Parenthood,” she reflected. My abortion was traumatizing. They lied to me, and they didn’t love or care for me at the young age of only thirteen years old. Abortion did not fix the problem; it only added more trauma to my life.”

When confronted with the question of whether rape is an exception to allow an abortion, Serena states emphatically, “No, absolutely not! It does not fix anything. It adds more pain, more lies, more guilt, and more shame. Abortion keeps women in shackles!”

Today, Serena lives in complete freedom from her past, and she knows now is the time to talk about her healing. “God is so good!” she testifies.

She finds comfort from Genesis 50:20 (ESV): “As for me, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Serena and her husband have been married for twenty-five years and are proud grandparents to a beautiful granddaughter. They both serve on the board of North Central Indiana Teen Challenge, a faith-based drug rehabilitation program for men. Serena ministers to women in jail and those out on the streets. She shares her story and the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that brings healing and redemption.

photo credit: Serena Dyksen

“I didn’t want to share this part of my life,” Serena admits. “I felt people would look down on me, but that is such a lie! People need to talk about abortion and rape. The church needs to talk about it. Some women are not ready to talk about their past abortion, but when they are, the church needs to be prepared to walk alongside them, love them, and point them to the cross for their healing. Discipleship is not easy, and sometimes it’s messy, but I am so grateful that I had people in the church who loved me and directed me to the truth of God’s word.”

If Serena could pass on one message of hope to women who have not dealt with the pain of their abortion, it would be that there is healing. She shares, “Everyone needs to walk through the healing process of their past abortion, no matter the circumstances. If you don’t, you will be walking through deception, pain, and all the bondage that goes with that. But the same God who sent people to show His love for me is the same God who will redeem your life too. I want to share my testimony because it is God who shines through my story!”

 

 

 

To learn more about how the church can support life issues and bring healing to the post-abortive go to:  www.makinglifedisciples.com

 

 

 

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I am always amazed at how God plans out our steps even when we don’t understand where He is taking us or why. But when He reveals Himself, we have that light bulb moment, and we see clearly.

Let me explain…

Over three years ago, I was approached by my father, Don Wilkerson, about writing a book about the legacy and founding of Teen Challenge. Immediately, I felt called to write it even though none of it made sense. There were several reasons why I questioned it:

    1. What about the bestselling book, The Cross and the Switchblade that catapulted the ministry? That book has reached millions with its powerful story of my uncle’s calling to New York City and the establishing of the ministry of Teen Challenge. Why would I want to compete or even take away from that in any way?
    2. Was it relevant? Adult and Teen Challenge just celebrated its 60th Anniversary with over 1400 programs in 125 countries. Why go back to the beginning days? God has given each program its unique calling and thousands upon thousands have found freedom from addiction.
    3. Would people think I am writing this book for personal gain? I struggled with even using my maiden name on the cover of the book, which is not my legal name. I have never been a name dropper but how do I tell this story without acknowledging my family connection?
    4. Did I have the knowledge to write about a ministry that I only knew through my upbringing? I grew up in Teen Challenge, but I have never worked in the ministry.
    5. Could I write a book? The fear of accomplishing a task of writing a book was daunting.

 

Even with all my questions, I knew God wanted me to write this story but why?

I cried every time I talked about it. It was as if there was this well of emotion inside of me that I couldn’t explain, but the Holy Spirit kept nudging me—Write It!

Several months after the release of Giving Hope An Address, I still doubted. I received wonderful reviews and comments about the book, but I still questioned the book’s purpose. After struggling through promoting the book, I complained to God, “Why did I devote all that time to write the legacy story of Teen Challenge? What was the purpose?”

I kept coming back to that undeniable Holy Spirit nudge not to question but write. Despite the whispers of doubt and all my fears, I knew God wanted the founding story to be told again.

I now understand why I felt that nudge.

A Story For A New Generation

Recently, there have been decisions made that are compromising the original purpose and mission of Teen Challenge. There is a shift that is veering away from the ministry’s founding.

I am not here to write about the details of those compromises; I am simply sharing why God wanted me to write Giving Hope An Address.

There’s a new generation God is using at Adult and Teen Challenge programs worldwide. They have the same burden—as previous generations— to reach those bound by addiction.

But this new generation needs to understand the beginning days of the ministry to point, once again, to the source of the success of Teen Challenge.

The book is a reminder of what God did through David and Don Wilkerson— and countless others— in establishing Teen Challenge in the heart of New York City.

It’s a reminder of the power of prayer and how prayer brought my uncle to New York City. How prayer established Teen Challenge and how prayer built and sustained thousands of programs worldwide for over 60 years!

The story tells the humble beginnings, the financial struggles, and the way God provided for every need of the ministry.

Giving Hope An Address is a Holy Spirit nudge to a new generation that Teen Challenge was not founded on a man-made method of drug rehabilitation but by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

With over 1400 programs in 125 countries and countless testimonies of those who found freedom from their addictions, God has done the miraculous!

And at the center of that miracle is the saving power of the Cross—the foundation of the ministry of Teen Challenge!

The success of the ministry—to spiritually and physically heal those trapped by addiction— was what David Wilkerson coined as the “Jesus factor.”

There are 60 years of miracle stories of freedom from addiction and the “Jesus factor” is at the center of each one of them.

Don’t compromise God’s calling and purpose for Adult and Teen Challenge. The message of the gospel has to be the driving force of the method in treating addiction. If that is compromised in any way, then it is no longer the Teen Challenge method.

As long as the Cross remains at the center of the continual Cross and Switchblade story, God will keep blessing what He ordained!

Keep the Cross Central!

Know the history of Teen Challenge.

Read The Cross and the Switchblade.

Read Giving Hope An Address.

Be a generation that holds tightly to the founding mission.

Don’t let a ministry drift away from the purpose God miraculously set in place sixty years ago!

 

 

“I am confident of this: He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it and more till the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6

 

 

 

 

 

Giving Hope An Address is available at these retailers:

   

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Have you ever just yearned for a sense of balance in your life?

That’s me. Right now!

It seems we are living in a world of extremes. Just take a few minutes reading the latest political opinions, and extreme is the narrative. Everyone seems to take an opposing side from one another. There’s rarely a balance in our interactions and debates.

And then we have this tolerance movement where no one can have a different opinion or at least we are not to share it.

It’s like we have forgotten to add the balance of reason, knowledge, kindness, and humility in our interactions with one another.

But how do we hold on to our convictions, stand boldly for truth without tipping the scales?

Is it even possible?

I recently went through an experience that I want to share with a questioning and prayerful heart. I am writing from a place of I don’t have the answers. But maybe my need for balance will answer the question indirectly.

It has to do with ministry and evangelism.

It was a seven-week training session to counsel women in crisis. I learned so much. I began to understand how to effectively minister to women and share the love of Christ without manipulation. No judgment. Just loving and comforting women in need and ALWAYS sharing the gospel by asking permission first. Not imposing my beliefs but sharing out of love and concern.

Yes, yes, yes!!

You see, I have seen ministry done the wrong way. I know the negative and intimidating effects of what “gospel” manipulation can do.  It’s devastating. And it is not the gospel as Christ teaches us through Scripture.

I soaked up this training, and it felt like I needed this in my life. If you are a part of any faith-based ministry long enough, you can get a bit jaded and hurt.

I’ve learned to navigate the stings and scars in ministry by always diving back into the word of God. And the Bible continually teaches—it’s not about me. Pour into others, Julie. Bitterness is a seed that takes root to manipulate and destroy your ability to minister.

I have witnessed others—more deeply scarred than me— soothed and healed by the power of God from their painful ministry experiences. It’s awesome when God balances out the extremes and heals the devastating effects of sin.

But my seven weeks ended with an unfortunate revelation. A woman who had been counseling other women in crisis pointed to her cross necklace. “See this,” she said. “I never wear this in the counseling room. I don’t want people to feel I am biased or manipulating them in any way. We minister, we don’t manipulate!”

My thoughts: But, wait! Isn’t this a faith-based organization? The cross around your neck is a representation of your hope. It’s your life. It is why you feel called to minister to other women in need. You ARE biased as a proclaimed follower of Jesus Christ.

I walked away from that training a bit jaded, again, but this time by the other side. That balance between ministry and manipulation was tipped the other way, and that side felt wrong too.

So you see, here I am— a follower of Christ—yearning for that balance in ministering to others.

How do I share the gospel of Jesus Christ in today’s society of extremes?

How do I balance not tipping the scale toward the devastating effects of manipulation or to the other side of timid evangelism that so often is overly concerned with tolerance and offense to others?

The only answer I keep coming back to is the word of God.

Scripture is the perfect balance in our lives. It is the resource that teaches us how to minister without manipulation but it also strongly compels us to walk with boldness; shining the light of Christ— that miraculous transforming power of the Cross—for ALL the world to see.

The balance is in putting the gospel first as the stable foundation of our ministry. For when you take away from that in any way—on either side—you lose your witness and effectiveness in ministering to others. The scale tips and you become an extreme—too assertive or too weak.

I have now witnessed both extremes in ministry that lead to unbalance. But look at this image. Where is the symbol of the cross? Smack dab in the middle. How about that?!

So I circle back to my question.  How do I become an effective witness for Christ to a hurting world in need?

I am reminded of this Scripture, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)

Help me God, to always minister to others from the balance of Scripture and never be ashamed of the Cross that sets the captives free!

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If there is one small glimmer of hope that has come from the state of New York’s late-term abortion bill, it’s that there is a conscience among people waking up to the evil of abortion.

But I am going to pivot from talking about that bill or even how other states are pushing forward the same type of legislation because my heart breaks for the post-abortive mothers and fathers.

What do you feel when you witness this news flooding media and social media? Are you reminded about that dreadful day? I want to know your heart, but I especially want to hear your voice.

I am not talking about those who stand by their “choice” of abortion and who have no remorse. My heart goes after those who have done the work of forgiveness before God about past abortions. Those who are walking in freedom but who share stories of regret.

I am sure it is difficult to watch both sides of the argument of abortion from your perspective. There is outrage on both sides and in the midst of it, there is your story. Perhaps, an experience that you have hidden for years and still can’t face for fear of the shame wrapped around it.

Or maybe, you have dealt with your abortion and found healing through the pain and trauma. You now walk in the freedom that can only come from the power of Jesus Christ that fills that deep sorrow with inexplicable joy.

Regardless of where you are in your healing process from abortion, today I want to encourage you.

There is a scripture that I have always read in the context of the unborn child. You often see images of this scripture in promoting the sanctity of life. But as you read it this time, let it speak to you and who you are in Christ as a post-abortive mother or father.

For you created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

When I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

Your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

Were written in your book

Before one of them came to be.  

Psalm 139:13-16

 

The character of God loves us in our most unworthy state. Nothing has been hidden from Him in our life story. He knew you before you were born and each day —even those painful, tragic days— were seen by Him. Yet, He loves us and wraps us in forgiveness when we seek it.

Just think of the contrast between abortion and that scripture. Abortion speaks the lie that there is no value in the life of the unborn, but God breathes into us worth and value by the very act of forming us in our mother’s womb. That scripture demonstrates the love of God shining through the darkness of our world.

I recently saw this post:

 

Your past abortion might have created a deep brokenness within you, but it does not define you. If you walk in freedom because you know the God of this universe has forgiven and healed you from your abortion, then live that testimony out. Speak about the lies of abortion that our world refuses to acknowledge.

Scripture has already made it clear where your identity comes from and who formed you. Be that pro-life voice that is there to love and heal those broken by abortion. Share your testimony of restoration to the post-abortive community. Only you, who have felt the physical and emotional wounds of abortion, can speak the truth to the outrage around us.

Know this, even with all the clamor and noise, your life, your story, and —your testimony— matters!

The next time you see Psalm 139: 13-14, remind yourself that it was YOU who was knit in your mother’s womb for a purpose. Share what God has done in your life—even in the regret of your past abortion. Bring healing to a world desperate to know the truth.

Your pro-life identity speaks the loudest among us because abortion is where your ministry began. Your testimony is now your pro-life identity. Be that voice!