If I Had Only Known . . . My Three Wishes

~ I wish there had been an iChoose when I was in an unplanned pregnancy situation at 25. My boyfriend only said it was him or the baby. And my friend said it was a good option when I told her that I was afraid of losing my boyfriend. Even my mother agreed that I should have an abortion since I was just starting my career and it wasn't a good time to have a baby. I didn't know at the time, but she had an abortion when she was younger and in a similar situation. If it wasn't for the doctor who told her he wouldn't do a second abortion, I may not be here today. My mom told me later that her doctor urged her to have the baby because she needed to have someone to love.

~ I wish I had someone I could have talked to about my situation. I may have made a different choice if I had been able to see the ultrasound. Instead, after having my abortion, I went on with my life thinking that it was behind me and not feeling anything had changed. I was terribly wrong. I didn't know that my increasing anger and drug use were some of the side effects of my decision. My boyfriend and I had increasing difficulties in our relationship and even after getting married my resentment and our unhealthy lifestyle resulted in divorce.

~ I wish I knew that much of the way I was living was a result of trying to do life without the right guidance. I felt like a failure. I had run to things that were only substitutes for love and acceptance. It was at that time that I called out to God and started my relationship with the only one who could heal my broken life. Shortly after I started going to a Bible believing church, I was led to volunteer at my local pregnancy center. I did a Bible study for women who had abortions in their past. That was almost 40 years ago!

When I started volunteering with iChoose Pregnancy Support Services 16 years ago, I had no idea what God was leading me to do next. I was about to find out. It didn’t take long before I started leading women through their own healing journeys! I love how God takes our messes and makes them into His message of forgiveness and transformation!