This thought keeps ringing through my head as we approach Election Day. Truly, we should soon be back to our regularly scheduled TV programs, although to be honest, I can't remember what TV or even radio content used to consist of before this year's election coverage, scandal reporting and political ads.
I'm not much of a TV watcher, though, to be honest, unless catching old episodes of Blue's Clues with my toddler or iCarly with my school-aged daughter. I'm sure many of you as parents and grandparents can relate to that!
The regularly scheduled program that I keep reflecting upon, however, is the work to save lives that we will continue to focus on after the election. No matter what the outcome of the election, no matter who our next President will be, our efforts must go on. And they will go on.
Tweet This: No matter who our next President will be, our efforts must go on—and they will #prolife @melissaohden
Before you post a comment decrying how I must not understand what Hillary as President will do to my work and yours in protecting the preborn and their mother's lives, hear me out for a second.
As the survivor of a failed abortion, I am well versed in the Democratic platform and the plans of Hillary Clinton to advance abortion in our country. I have personally felt the burning disdain of pro-abortion politicians and media towards my life and the lives of all preborn children and experienced their angry wrath regarding my work for years. I've been as appalled as you have been as we've seen their agenda against life unapologetically pushed.
Am I concerned about how a Hillary Clinton presidency will affect the lives of preborn children for generations to come? Absolutely. Am I concerned about how her policies could impact my life and yours currently and your efforts and mine in restoring a culture of life? Yes. Definitely.
Like you, during this election cycle, I've felt an incredible sense of urgency. We are, no doubt, at a critical point in our country. Hillary's reputation precedes her. We know what we likely will experience under her leadership. And yes, Donald Trump's reputation precedes him, too. And although we, as pro-lifers, may not all trust that Donald Trump will follow through on his promises in restoring protection to the unborn and thereby their mothers, he, along with Governor Mike Pence have articulated those plans and a defense of life throughout this election cycle.
Was it always articulated well? I'll be honest here—no, no it wasn't. But it was articulated, nonetheless, and for that I'm thankful.
But I digress. This is not an article about our candidates and your vote. It's about you and me. And the work we must do, the work we will continue to do, regardless of the election.
Recently, I stumbled across this quote: "After the verb 'to Love', 'to Help' is the most beautiful verb in the world"—Bertha von Suttner. This is our work, regardless of Tuesday's outcome. Although organizational missions and personal callings are different from one organization to another, one person to another, the greater calling, the greater mission, is the same—To love. To help.
These actions, these key beliefs guide our efforts to pass legislation that protects the lives of women and children from abortion. They direct our efforts to educate the public about the truth of abortion and its devastation. These beliefs that we put into action are the basis of pregnancy center help work, of maternity homes, of post-abortion recovery programs.
Tweet This: We love and we help. Wholeheartedly. We are compassionate yet truthful about #abortion. @melissaohden
We love. We help. Regardless of a woman's circumstance, regardless of the circumstances surrounding a child's conception or the prognosis of their life, regardless of what the world at large thinks of our efforts or how they try to thwart them. We love. We help.
To be honest, I think this is what many pro-abortion supporters and even the pro-abortion politicians and media find threatening, maybe because they simply can't understand it.
We love and we help. Unabashedly. Wholeheartedly. We are compassionate yet truthful about the impact of abortion and its consequences. That's not being manipulative or dishonest. In fact, it's more honest than the abortion industry and pro-abortion media who try to avoid talking about it. I can see how that's intimidating to them. Truth can be very intimidating.
But that's another post in and of itself.
Because we love, because we help, not only will the lives of children like me who could have been aborted continue to be saved, but the lives of women and men will be transformed. They will be loved. And helped. It's a continuous cycle. By loving the women and men who come through the doors of our organizations and ministries, the children are more likely to be loved in return. They are loved into life.
With Tuesday's election looming large, as I reflect upon your efforts and mine in restoring protection and respect for life, what gives me the most hope is that "to love," and "to help," are not only two beautiful verbs, but verbs that will continue to build upon on one another and carry forth in countless lives and generations to come, no matter who our next President will be. That is a beautiful thing, indeed. And something that can never be stopped.
Melissa Ohden is the survivor of a failed saline infusion abortion. She is an internationally recognized pro-life activist. Melissa is the Founder and Director of The Abortion Survivors Network. She is a frequent contributor to LifeNews and blogs at www.melissaohden.com. Melissa is passionate about pregnancy help centers and the life-saving, life transforming services that are provided to women, men and children.
