In honor of Sanctity of Life week, I will be posting new entries about my past abortion and also sharing thoughts and interviews about the value of human life.
Today I am opening up my life again with you about my abortion. This is a letter titled Hello and Goodbye I read at the memorial service last May to a small group of people, including my husband and children.
The post-abortion Bible study required we give honor to the lives lost due to abortion by having a celebration of human life service. This step was extremely personal and painful, but it gave beauty and closure to our ugly experiences. I highly recommend every woman who has had an abortion to go through this step of naming and honoring her aborted child/ren. I found greater healing and freedom by doing this.
May God use my letter to touch and heal wounded hearts!
Hello and Goodbye
How is it possible to deny a life for 18 years and then get to embrace it for a short couple of weeks only to release it back to God? It hurts. Deep like a sword piercing my heart. That’s my story.
This letter is a hello and a goodbye. A day to acknowledge life. A day to mourn death.
Sadness fills the hollows of my soul and yet love covered my pain with such rare beauty.
Forever, I will remember my aborted child, Grace. Her life was a precious gift to me from my Heavenly Father. Not an accident like I thought. Not a blob of tissue.
She was a new life. A life in my womb handcrafted by God. For His purposes. When I think of her life serving as a reminder of God’s forgiveness and grace, I am broken. Torn to shreds as I admit I’ve let a precious life go. Intentionally. I thought of myself and my circumstances above her life and all of its possibilities. I can’t believe she had to die in order for me to find greater love and freedom in Christ. But today I see that is the case. Her life served a purpose. A healing and freeing one. And for that alone I am thankful and rejoice today.
Grace was a tiny life without a voice. Her spirit resides in the loving presence of the Lord. I imagine her sweet face and her beautiful voice singing praises. Someday I will get the privilege of holding her close, kissing her cheeks, and telling her that I’ve always loved her. Today her life remains as a joyful song in my heart to God.
“I will praise you forever for what you have done;
in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you in the presence of your saints.”
Psalm 52:9
Thank you for being so open and sharing this. I pray it will touch many hearts.
Tiffany,
Thank you for opening your heart. Sincerely, I cannot imagine the pain that would accompany it. It reminds me of Francine Rivers’ The Atonement Child.
I pray God will use you and your words to touch and heal. And please, continue to not be silent.
Hi Tiffany….. thanks for stopping by, and I say, “yes!” it is wonderful to be
amongst a group of blogging gals who love Jesus and are passionate about serving Him!!
Although… (sniff… sniff… sniff) I missed one of my favorites among my ‘newfound’ blessed blogging buddies —- YOU! (how did I do that??) ~~~ I did a quick run-through of the blogs I manage to do my best to follow… as I was trying to dig out the blogs that always bless me…. and YOu are one (I cry thinking I missed it!) But, I do have you on my sidebar… hoping that anyone who should stop by my place will be blessed to be linked to your place lickety split!
I luv ya friend!
In Him, Deanna
You my friend put a smile on our Creators face!
Tiffany,
I don’t have the words but I have the embrace…((hugs)) to you, my friend.
Tiffany,
Thank you for your williness to open up a very soft part of your heart. I pray a healing balm continue to be applied to your heart. When you see the sun come up every morning that hear the Lord Jesus whisper to your heart,’see I make all things new’.
(((HUGS)))
Miriam
I can’t believe she had to die in order for me to find greater love and freedom in Christ. But today I see that is the case. Her life served a purpose. A healing and freeing one. And for that alone I am thankful and rejoice today.
Incredible… I can’t wait to met her one day too!
Thanks once again Tiffany♥
Wow..Tiffany that was beautiful..really. It touched my heart. Thank you for baring your heart. Thank you for being real..God bless you sister. I hope I meet grace also..
What a beautiful letter Tiffany. It must have been difficult to pen. Thank you for sharing your heart.
I love your heart here….
You are a precious treasure….
Love ya,
Julie
Dear Tiffany, I finally sit with some quiet on my hands and could read your post. I had no idea you haved endured the emotional scare of abortion. How truly amazing and loving is our God. I claim that while He is All Mighty and All powerful that He is also yet so very gentle with our fragile hearts. There is No one better in all the world to mend the wounds of a mother who awaits the very day to kiss her child for the very first time and to dance with her at the feet of Mercy & Grace Himself ~ Jesus! No one better than Jesus, The great physician! Praise His Name!
Tiffany, I have suffered some deep, and dark pain that rattled me to the very core of my heart and soul over decisions I've made (even while knowing that Jesus was Lord!) I can't compare the two, for I've not walked in your shoes. But I can and will rejoice to High heaven and back again- that He is your Rock and that He is your Strong hold, because I know the feeling of Freedom that comes from the hand of the Redeemer! In fact, FREEDOM is one of my favorite words I love to describe Jesus as in my life! I praise Him so much for spilling His healing over you… and I praise Him so much that when fall comes and the temptation of gulit and shame begin to prick at your heart… that God's Living Word continues to sustain you! He will.
I want to weep for you, my dear sister in Christ, but I feel it would be such an injustice to the incredible power that the Lord holds in victory over every sin, every guilt, and every shame to all those who shall call uopn His name. So my tears for you dear friend- will be tears of joy!
So much love and hugs to you!
In Him, Deanna :O)
ps- did you have a chance to read my post titled: TEENAGE PREGNANCY and a TEENAGE MOM that I recently wrote?
If you're interested, this link should take you right to it.
http://insidedeannasdiary.blogspot.com/2009/01/teenage-pregnancy-and-teenage-mom.html
Hi Tiffany,
I was blessed by your visit today, Thank you for sharing your heart with me, and for leaving a comment so I could come and visit you as well. I know there are many who can relate to your post, and you are so courageous for being so open and honest. I know you have touched many hearts and will lead many toward a healing of the past!!
Hugz Lorie
A friend sent me an interesting article that I believe I set up to post to my blog for today in about 6 1/2 hours from now… that I think you will appreciate – especially the ending.
Urgent Prayer Request
My brother, Robert is very congested and saw a doctor earlier (officially yesterday afternoon). The doctor wasn’t concerned so much about his sore throat, but most concerned about his heart rate it was almost 200 while he was just sitting in the office. The doctor told him he needed to admit to the hospital ASAP, but he said no because he doesn’t have health insurance – so he left the office with RX for antibiotics. He called me about 2:00 am asking what to do because his heart felt like it’s beating out of his chest – I told him he needs to follow his doctor’s advice and get to the hospital. I asked him if he needed me to call an ambulance and he said NO… he’s on his way to a hospital in TX, but I don’t know which one… Please pray!
You are seeing the bright morning star Tiffany. I am praying for your friend.
Love,
Paulette
Thank you for sharing… I pray God continues to heal you and use you for His Glory.
A friend of mine who has had an abortion shared her testimony in church on Sunday for Sanctity of Life Day… this was her 1st time to talk of it publicly. Her testimony was very powerful, God has healed her and set her free from the shame and guilt, it was a precious time and we had a very moving service…
Blessings!
Oh Tiffany, I have read this before and weep again as I reread them.
Wow… Tiffany. Praise God!
Tiffany,
My eyes are filled with tears as I read the words from your heart.
God’s mercy for our choice causes me to stand in awe and stirs my heart to help others.
Getting to know you though this world of blogging and sharing our secret has blessed me.
In His Grace,
Tammy