She saw those two lines. One was faint, and 'Kate' thought, “Maybe I’m early enough; I can just take that pill I’ve heard about.” Frantic, and with a quick Google search, she found she could order pills online. Her hands shaking and hitting the order button, she never thought this would be her. Kate has never thought abortion was the answer, but her current circumstances have already been a crushing weight on her life.
They just broke up. She finally moved on from that abusive relationship. “How could this be happening to me?” Kate would think over and over again the past two days, waiting for those pills to arrive. Yet, something inside her made her start questioning ordering those pills. What if the test was wrong? When did I actually get pregnant? After another quick Google search, Kate found some helpful information. An ultrasound would answer all her questions, and the website she found offered them for free. Kate took the chance and reached out to schedule an appointment.
On the day of her appointment, Kate realized that the clinic offered more than just an ultrasound. She felt uncomfortable at first. The nurse and her care coordinator asked some difficult questions, but her discomfort eased, and no one looked at her in judgment. She started to feel a shift in her situation. As she explained to her care coordinator that she had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and wasn’t sure how she could stay connected to such an awful guy, her care coordinator gently provided understanding, giving Kate space to talk freely about everything that had happened. That crushing weight started to lift. The lady asked her about her faith. Kate admitted that she had drifted away from God but that lately, she found herself wanting to get back to Him. During her consultation, her fear started slowly turning to hope.
The nurse provided education about the abortion pills and then said it was time for the ultrasound. Kate felt nervous, and she didn’t know what to expect. As the sonographer explained everything, Kate was overwhelmed that there was already a heartbeat. The sonographer, who was also her care coordinator, explained that the arms, legs, and spine were forming. Kate knew she couldn’t take those pills. Kate whispered a prayer for strength and felt hope rising in her as the ladies at Hope Clinic reassured her they would be with her through the entire process. They even told her she could come to them until the baby was two years old for help with diapers, wipes, baby clothes, and emotional support. The encouragement and the list of resources they provided made Kate feel less alone than she had felt since she saw those two lines. For the first time in a long time, she had something she had almost forgotten about. It was HOPE.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13