Is It Worth It?

By Amber Lehman, CEO First Choice Pregnancy Solutions 


I was sitting at my desk last Thursday afternoon. Tired. Discouraged. Wondering if it is all worth it? The sacrifice? The constant spiritual warfare? The disappointments?  I was discouraged as I was thinking about the HUGE vision we have to run the abortion business out of Wake County and wondering if we'll ever accomplish it.  Will God’s people show passion about the cause of life again?  Winning the war against the abortion business feels so far away and it is a constant uphill battle. Constant. I was discouraged to say the least.

Sitting there, totally overwhelmed and questioning it all, my cell phone rang and I answered it to hear my friend Ada say “I’m so glad you answered your phone! I have a friend who is helping a family and the mom has an abortion scheduled for tomorrow!”

We chatted a minute or so and then conferenced in her friend, Ellie on the phone. I found out Laurie, the mom was 19 weeks and 3 days pregnant and her abortion was scheduled for the next day.  OK, well that is a game changer because Laurie’s appointment was scheduled for the last day she could legally get an abortion in free standing clinic--rarely will this situation turn out positive.  I coached Ellie in how to ask Laurie to come in to the First Choice and equipped her for the conversation if she wasn’t willing to come in. I told her to wait 2 minutes so we could get some prayer started then to make the call.  

The next few hours were full!  Ellie called and got Drake, the baby’s father, on the phone.  He began crying and said that if they just had a little help they would keep the baby, they didn’t want to abort.  Laurie would be home soon and he would talk to her about coming in.  He met her in the parking lot yelling “we can keep our baby!” and she agreed to come in to First Choice.  

Ellie picked them up and brought them to the clinic where they met with the nurse, got an ultrasound, were educated on the abortion procedure, risks, and fetal development.  They talked through their obstacles.  Neither of them wanted to abort but they felt trapped. They were behind on their bills.  Laurie & Drake and their 2 year old son had been sleeping on the floor at her mom’s house for 3 weeks because the water and gas were turned off and they were 3 months late in rent and would probably need to move.  It was a tough situation and it didn’t look hopeful.  

I had to leave the office to facilitate a First Choice house party but I came back afterwards to write the checks.  We paid everything to catch them up on their bills, about $3000.  For $3000 a baby was going to lose his or her life and a couple would mourn the loss of their child forever.  $3000?  What a broken world we live in.  

Standing in the room, everyone had left but me and Laurie.  “You know, a lot of people go through life and feel they never catch a break.  You are catching a break.  A break that can change everything. Where you could be in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years...even where your children may go in life too.” Her eyes were full of tears. I said, “we are God’s hand of grace and mercy and it brings us great joy to give you hope. Take the break.”

Laurie pulled out her ultrasound pictures, pointed to them and said, “I didn’t realize what they were going to do to the baby until tonight. I can’t believe I was going to let them do that to my baby...that I was going to let them take it out of me like that. Thank you so much that I don’t have to go through with the abortion.  I can’t thank you enough.”

She hugged me...she hugged us all. She is a hugger. :-)

I drove home, totally exhausted, sat on my couch and thought, “yeah, it’s worth it”.  That baby is going to live. That is worth it.  The smile on a mother and father’s face because of God’s gracious provision so they felt they could keep their baby. That is worth it.  Worshipping God next to them in church. That is worth it.  Buying them dinner and getting to know them a little more. That is worth it.  Hearing Laurie talk about how being at church and hanging out with us was “so relaxing”.  That is worth it.  Being obedient to God to fight for LIFE. That is worth it.  

So, what is it worth to you? What are you willing to sacrifice to save lives?

Whatever you decide, it is worth it.

The names in this story have been changed to protect client identity