Here at Greensboro Pregnancy Care Center, we often say that our clients come to us in a crisis moment. And for most of them, this is completely true. They are walking in our doors scared and often alone, only to confirm their fears moments later that they are pregnant. Our clients find themselves in a desperate situation, where it seems like the most logical choice for their well-being would be to choose abortion.
This is a catastrophic lie our culture feeds to these women. “You can’t raise a baby, you’re still a kid yourself.” “You’re still in school, how can you have a child?” “How will you support a baby?” “You know your parents will kick you out if they find out you’re pregnant.” All of these lies are rooted in fear. But Christian Scripture tells us in 1 John 4:18 that there is, “No fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear.” I am proud of the way the Care Center tenderly cares for these women and shares the truth that they have better choices available to them.
As we hear client stories time after time, it’s easy to be desensitized to their situations and circumstances. I would love to offer a different perspective, one where we can put ourselves in these women’s shoes and understand their deep fears.
According to Plan
Many of you reading these words may be parents yourself. Take a trip down memory lane to the moment when you first discovered you were going to be a mom or a dad. There was a human life growing and developing, and when it came time, this precious life would be 100% your responsibility to care for and nurture. I don’t know about you, but when that moment came for me about a year-and-a-half ago, I was overcome with emotion… joy, excitement, anticipation, and, yes, even fear.
My husband and I had prayed that God would bless us with a baby, so we were not surprised—but this news still stopped me in my tracks. Was I ready to be a mom? Could I really do this? Fears and doubts filled my mind even though I was planning to become pregnant and had the support of many around me.
A Change in Plans
Fast forward to this past October. My son was six-and-a-half months old when my husband and I found out some news that was not so expected this time—we would be welcoming another baby into our family.
Once again, the fears filled my mind. How will I be able to handle being pregnant with a little baby? How old will he be when the new baby is here? 15 months?! Two under two years old?! Sheer shock and panic went through my body. I am so thankful for a husband who values life and sees clearly even when I cannot. He assured me that no life is created outside of God’s knowledge and that the Lord’s timing is better than ours. He reminded me that this precious new life was nothing short of the best blessing. Wow. How grateful I was for his words in those moments!
In a Moment of Crisis
I experienced a moment much like many of our clients do. The reality of an unplanned pregnancy came crashing in hard and fast. However, the differences between my circumstance and those of our clients are many. I am married, have a home to live in, a family to support us, a church community to surround us and carry us, a steady income to provide food and basic necessities, and great friends to encourage and uplift us. Unfortunately, many of our clients have few, if any of these very resources available when they find themselves pregnant and afraid.
And more times than not, it is this very fear that leads a woman to make the choice to abort her unborn baby.
My heart aches for these women. They are in a place where they desperately need support. They need someone to hear them and help them where they are.
A Common Mission
This is why the Care Center exists: to empower women and men in these situations to face their unplanned pregnancy without fear. But this is not just a mission for the Care Center. It’s your mission, too.
We’re all just one moment away from a crisis of our own. Chances are, when a crisis does come, you’ll have resources and people around you that you know will carry you through. So why would we not want to extend that same level of support to those who need it?
You have the opportunity to do so through GPCC. We have a variety of volunteer opportunities available, and you can even partner with us financially by becoming a monthly giver. These are simple, yet practical ways that you can address the abortion issue in our community. By advocating for both the unborn and their mothers, we can truly make abortion unnecessary in Greensboro.
Klaire Harrison is the Outreach Coordinator at GPCC. When she’s not working, she enjoys singing and serving at Mercy Hill Church and loving on her sweet 10 month-old son. She and her husband can’t wait to meet the newest little member of their family, coming in June.