The final column before a pivotal election. What to write about?
Weeks ago, I explained for whom and why I was voting. No need to do so again. And heck, by the time this column hits the world-wide webisphere, it’s likely some 70 million votes will have been cast, well above half the entire turnout of 2016.
At the church where my early voting took place, the line was 45 minutes long on a Friday afternoon. The parking lot was full, surely causing the pastor to say, “Why can’t we have this every Sunday?”
More votes will be cast through November 3, and sometime late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, we will likely know the results of this election. Of course, this could drag on for several weeks as mail-in ballots, challenges and other situations are addressed. Who knows?
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At some point—sooner or later—we will move forward, beyond Election 2020. On a related note, we will also get past the year 2020 and its upheaval. Thank goodness.
So, what does the future hold once this election is in the rear-view mirror? Regardless of the results, here’s what I see in the pregnancy help community:
We press on
It is important to point out that in the pregnancy help community, regardless of who wins, there will be no protests or riotous celebrations over the results of this election. Honestly, we don’t have time for this. We have work to do.
On Wednesday, Nov. 4 we will gather in our offices, maternity homes and adoption agencies across the country. There will certainly be discussions about the election, but once these initial conversations take place, we will check our appointment books, make sure each of us is in place and ready, and open our doors.
Unexpected pregnancies don’t take a break around elections, and neither do we. We will press on to serve those who need us, and we will do so without judgment and without bothering to ask things like, “Who did you vote for?”
We continue our creativity
“Someone can thwart God’s plan, but no one can stop His planning ability,” a wise pastor told me once. This statement describes the pregnancy help community. An example? When faced with the mass production of the abortion pill, Dr. George Delgado went to work and abortion pill reversal—now Abortion Pill Rescue—was born.
Our centers are now home to in-house adoption agencies, psychologists and social workers who work with clients facing deep wounds, leading to freedom for those dealing with the trauma of past abuse, past abortions and so much more.
No matter the challenge, we somehow find a way forward. No election will stop this.
We will encourage, love and . . . win
As people of faith we understand elections are important, but we recognize our value is not based on our political propensities but in our character. And our character is reflected in how we treat those who come in our door.
We never look down on a client, we invite her into our tribe. We encourage her, letting her know we will walk with her (and him) every step of the way, no matter the cost.
This is what love looks like, and it is the hallmark of our ministries. Everyone deserves love, everyone deserves encouragement—and everyone deserves a second, third or fourth chance.
This is why victory—creating a culture where no woman feels like she needs to end a pregnancy—is closer than we might believe.
We advance, whether our side wins or loses any election. We trust God to give us creative ways to reach out to those we see. And we stand beside our clients with encouragement and love. It’s what we do.
Next week, another political cycle will end. But for us, our next step in changing a culture only begins. Because of who we are, we can’t wait to get started.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue Network and Pregnancy Help News.
