It was another typical medical clinic in a community about an hour from Grace Mountain. The Nurse Practitioners from University of South Alabama were excited to see each patient as the line continued to grow. Usually the patients could be treated with over-the-counter medicines or basic prescriptions.
But this patient was a different case. One of the nurses approached me and said, “There is a young lady in the room downstairs and her pregnancy test was positive. She wants to have an abortion.”
I knew immediately who I would send to talk with her. Daisy left her station where she had been serving as a translator and hurried to the room.
My sister, Daphne, had already made her way there to provide an ultrasound. Surely, we thought, the young woman would change her mind when she saw the baby. She would recognize the gift of life and want to continue with the pregnancy.
But the picture of the tiny baby on the ultrasound did not take away the fear in her eyes.
She wept as she explained that she absolutely could not have the baby. She did not have a husband. She already had one small child. She was living with her mother, and if her mother found out about the pregnancy she would make them leave the house. She had nowhere to go.
Daisy shared her testimony. She spoke of God’s grace and mercy. Looking the young woman in the eyes, Daisy explained that she understood the feeling of hopelessness. But God created this baby. He loves this baby. This unborn child has a purpose.
Still the young mother wept. The weight of the world on her shoulders was obvious.
She looked completely hopeless.
Her eyes were empty.
We asked if we could connect her with a leader from the church who could help her. She refused.
We asked if we could connect her with our nurse at Grace Clinic. Again she refused.
She was terrified that someone would find out about the pregnancy, and she could not take the risk.
So we prayed over her. We prayed for the life of the unborn child. We begged God to intervene.
Before leaving, she agreed to give Daisy her phone number, but everything had to remain confidential.
Months passed. Daisy tried to contact her, but she never responded. Eventually we assumed she had somehow terminated the pregnancy.
One year later…
We returned to the same community. The chairs were set in circles for the Nurse Practitioners, translators, and patients. The room looked exactly as it had the year before.
As we set up for the clinic, Daisy, Daphne, and I asked the same question: “I wonder what happened to the young lady.”
Not long after, a young woman sat in front of one of the nurses with her toddler son and a little baby girl.
Daphne picked up the baby to get a few cuddles. The baby was precious. She carried her around the room proudly, showing off her cuteness to everyone.
Then Daphne looked at Daisy and said, “I think this is the young lady.”
Daisy hurried over and looked her in the eyes.
Without hesitation she asked, “Do you remember me?”
The young woman smiled and nodded yes.
This was the baby.
We all stood with tears in our eyes.
The baby we had prayed for.
The baby we had begged God to protect.
The baby we had worried about for an entire year.
The baby whom God had knit together in her mother’s womb.
The young mother left the clinic carrying her toddler son and her infant baby girl.
But this time she was not leaving with hopelessness.
Her eyes were no longer empty.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14
