Celebrating Life and Continuing the Fight for the Unborn by Rachel Guy
This article was guest authored by Rachel Guy, a pro-life speaker and advocate
You might not know this by looking at me, but I was given a death sentence. You see, 26 years ago three doctors insisted that my parents should abort me because they said I would be blind, deaf, and have mental struggles. My parents refused! Praise the Lord for parents who saw that I had not lost my value just because I might be blind, deaf, and have mental struggles or have a genetic diagnosis (as three doctors randomly assumed).
My life’s worth is founded in Jesus as I am made by God and in God’s image. Each person at the moment of fertilization is made by our Lord and fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Three of the greatest gifts we have seen in our history are:
- Seeing the Holocaust end
- Seeing our African American brothers and sisters free from the horror of slavery
- Seeing the overturning of Roe v. Wade, bringing the decision back to the states
As we celebrate this historic step forward, we are well aware that there is still so much work to be done to make abortion illegal everywhere and unthinkable to a culture that has been lied to for 50 years. We must continue to show a lost and hurting world that there is hope and help. Abortion is neither of those, and we must continue to fight to end all abortions.
Sometimes people will say that since Roe v. Wade was overturned, the pro-life battle is over. This is sadly not true. There are many abortion clinics open and the abortion pill is even more prevalent. The heartbreaking reality that the abortion industry is still drawing vulnerable women in many with its lies and fear tactics.
There are still abortion clinics we must be standing outside of and legislation that we must be lobbying for the next legislative session. There is still always a battle at hand. Sometimes when laws are put in place it takes a culture a while to have their hearts changed to have the correct mindset. Countless men and women of all ages have believed the lie that abortion is acceptable and should happen. But after 50 of being fed lied, it will take time for peoples’ hearts to change.
As Christians, we must continue to stand up for life. Recently, this sentiment hit me so strongly when I thought about the horrific and interesting story my friend shared with me at 40 Days for Life. He told me that Dr. Bernard Nathansen, the former abortionist who worked tirelessly to make abortion legal, had said that he was waiting for the churches to stop his efforts. But since no one did, he knew he could go forward with what he did.
What hit me was that he understood the power of the church standing up way more than Christians do!
He knew that if the Christian community rose up, they could stop his efforts. Imagine if the Christian community got on fire for Jesus in such a powerful way that we stood outside abortion clinics nonstop through 40 Days for Life, held kind and compassionate signs, prayed, and reached out to moms to show them that there is always hope. As my mother, Suzanne Guy, says, “no one ever regrets choosing life.”
What if we all yearned for a world that loved life as much as the world wants to destroy life?
What if we took our frustration about the state of the world and got on our knees as a church and asked God what His step was for each of us to do?
What a beautiful world we would live in!
What can we do since the overturning of Roe? For one, we can celebrate that it was overturned but also since it is now a state's issue, we can lobby for pro-life legislation and start pro-life groups at your church like LI-V!
LI-V was first started at First Baptist Church of Woodstock church by my very own mother, Suzanne. She started the group for two purposes:
- First, to be a place where moms in crisis can come and know that the church is the answer, to offer tangible help, and to offer friendship for a lifetime with them. The famous quote my mom originated is, “May women in crisis know to run to the church, not Planned Parenthood.” LI-V is giving women in crisis a space to know they are welcome. It is saying, “The Body of Christ loves you, sees you, and you are not alone.” Through this group, we support women by being a friend to them, by walking with them financially, and to do life with them.
- Second, to host monthly meetings that educate the pro-life community about all God is up to in the state of Georgia, whether it be hearing from local pregnancy crisis center directors to hearing about Christian-based foster care adoption agencies. LI-V allows pro-lifers to be together to serve and join in fellowship.
Rachel Guy
Pro-life speaker & advocate