by Mindy Johnson, Director, Healing Encouragement for Abortion Related Trauma (HEART), Pregnancy Resource Centers

God forgives abortion. As 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify our hearts.” The Christian women that I have spoken with regarding their abortion experience mostly understand this…intellectually. Often times it has not penetrated their hearts, or they have not made that head to heart connection.

When I am teaching about Post-Abortion Stress I tell the group, never assume a woman (non-Christian or Christian) has not experienced an abortion or abortions in her past. The numbers are so great that the Alan Guttmacher Institute says that “Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion.[1] Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.[2] (July 2008)” and “Forty-three percent of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27% as Catholic.[3]. “ The bottom line is women Christian and non-Christian alike are having abortions. The emotional pain that they sometimes experience, guilt, shame, depression, can have a far reaching impact on their lives.

One example I read about was in an article I read by Mark Early of Prison Fellowship Ministries entitled “An Unexpected Correlation” dated January 22, 2008 through Breakpoint. In the article Early writes about a palliative care nurse named Jane Echlin. Ms. Echlin tells about 2 patients she had, one 92 years old and in great emotional agony near the end of her life. The other woman, dying of cancer, also was experiencing pain that even a steady drip of morphine was not easing. When Ms. Echlin was able to ask both of these women a bit more, she discovered that they both had experienced an abortion and one was afraid that God would not listen to her prayers, the other afraid that God would not forgive her of her abortion. One abortion was 50 year earlier, the other 42 years earlier. How heartbreaking! Imagine how different their lives may have been if they had understood about God’s forgiveness regarding their abortions.

Past abortions are very likely to be at the center of the pain many women you come in contact with are experiencing. I have talked with women who work on their church’s staff as wives of elders, assistants, Bible study leaders, etc. that had never shared their “secret” regarding abortion. Women are sitting in your congregations, in you offices, in your homes, who may never have shared this secret out of shame. The women in your community, your hair stylist, the woman at the bank, the grocery store clerk, or your doctor, might be harboring guilt or shame from a past abortion. This guilt and shame could be a cause of the wall she has built to try and keep God out of her life for fear of His wrath. Never assume a woman has not experienced an abortion or abortions in her past. The emotional pain of it might be surfacing, just below the surface, or hidden deeply, whether it took place 5 days ago or 50 years ago.

If she does share this with you, let her know you still care about her and will be praying for her. Let her know about the love and forgiveness of our Lord. Let her know about and encourage her to join a post – abortion Bible study support group in her area. Assure her that what she has shared will remain confidential.

The painful reality of abortion and what occurred is an ongoing healing process for most women. It begins with acknowledging the reality of the abortion decision, and then also acknowledging that there is hope and healing in the Lord. The sooner a woman can understand that, and it can begin to penetrate her heart, the better. As you begin to talk with these women in your communities, pray for them always and then help them seek the help they may need.

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To learn more about shepherding women who have had an abortion, read Chapter 11, “Abortion Recovery,” written by Mindy Johnson, in the book, Shepherding Women in Pain.

For information on Bible-study support groups in the Portland Oregon area, contact HEART (Healing Encouragement for Abortion Related Trauma); confidential voicemail is 503-22-HEART. Or for information in other states, the Care Net website is www.care-net.org.