Rachel weeps for her children – Thoughts on Life
Matthew 2:16-18 describes a tough time in the earliest part of Jesus’ life. He was an innocent baby from a poor family, hardly a threat to anyone. Yet, baby Jesus was the reason hundreds of children were murdered. The loud weeping and comfortless sorrow of so many Jewish women was as heart wrenching then as it was centuries before when hundreds of Israelite babies were killed. Thirty-three years later, an adult Jesus encountered a group of women mourning and wailing for Him (Luke 23:27). He instructed them to weep for their children instead. Jesus knew our lives would be filled with difficult and confusing moral and ethical decisions. Jesus knew His death would mean life, even for those innocents whose lives were destined for destruction. Open your hearts today to the women who groan with unspoken words of sorrow in loss. Many “Rachels” sit in darkness weeping because of their participation in taking the life of their child. In Orlando, thirty women wake every day in despair and conclude abortion is the only solution to their unplanned pregnancy. We often forget two lives are significantly affected with such a decision. When a woman falls into the snare of Satan and believes ending her pregnancy is the best solution for her problem, she becomes a victim too. She knows she caused the death of her little one.
Humanity faces difficult moral and ethical decisions every day. God demands compliance and perfect obedience with laws that seem impossible to meet. Our culture pressures us to bend those laws and offers a way out for the consequences of disobedience. But it is not a clean escape. Emotional upheaval, and spiritual weakness leave Rachel feeling unforgiven, uncomforted, and hopeless. Like many other violations of and deliberate disregard for God’s law, Satan shifts responsibility for destruction of unborn children from ethics to rights. Society says rights of every citizen are not God-given, they are owned by each individual. This is the darkness that brings damaging despair. But, rays of hope do shine in the darkness. Specifically through two ministries who put the Gospel of Jesus Christ first and reach out to the confused and crushed Rachels of Orlando.
True Life Choice equips women and families involved in crisis pregnancies. Their mission is to save unborn babies and families from the consequences of abortion. We often forget that there are more lives involved in a pregnancy than the mother and child. Fathers, grandparents, siblings, and other relatives will all suffer the effect of not choosing life. In all counseling and offered services, communicating the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ is intentional. TLC operates a medical clinic called Choices Women’s Clinic through which we offer free pregnancy tests, options counseling, ultrasounds, prenatal and parenting classes, and a 24/7 crisis pregnancy hotline. TLC is located in College Park, but reaches far into the greater Orlando community.
Redeeming Life Maternity Home, in Sanford, exists to offer hope and new life to single women who find themselves in crisis pregnancy, and no home because of that pregnancy. Education, family, support, and faith are the backbone of the residential program Redeeming Life Maternity Home offers its residents. The hope is to change lives and embrace the love of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. Residents live together as family. They are encouraged to eat, pray, and study God’s Word together. They learn to support and forgive one another and to accept forgiveness. In addition, each resident works toward finishing her education and/or obtaining the job skills necessary to support herself and her child. Life skills and parenting classes provide the tools needed to run a household and to discipline in a way that builds confident and loving children. Redeeming Life Outreach Ministries plans for a future of transitional housing, and a 24/7 child care facility to love and support each women as she moves toward a self-sufficient and productive life.
As you celebrate your life and observe the joy of children and parents, think about these two ministries that may have been responsible. Take time to pray – for the volunteers, staff, and especially clients of both. Consider becoming a volunteer – to counsel, to offer physical labor for yard work and building repair, to drive women to appointments, to teach a life skills class, to lead a Bible study or devotion, to organize donations, and assist with office work.
Life is a gift from God, and lives lost are a source of grief, anguish and guilt. Remember the darkness of death was destroyed by the light of Christ. True Life Choice and Redeeming Life Maternity Home, put the light of Jesus first to show the way in the fearful darkness of unplanned pregnancy.
– Deaconess Liz Borth
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