In today's Old Testament reading, God tells Moses, as the Egyptians are bearing down upon the Israelites, "Fear not!" He goes on to tell this beleaguered leader that they just need to keep still. The Lord God will fight for them. And so He does!

I love this passage in Scripture. It gives me such hope and is a perfect reminder that God is in control even when it seems like all is lost or nothing makes sense. We must continue to trust and believe. That's where our hope comes from. Trusting and believing that God, who never once stops thinking about any of us, has a Plan. 

That Divine Plan is not something we will ever truly understand this side of Heaven. And that's OK. If we did, who would need faith? If we were all "in" on the plan, what would be the advantage in that for us? I know a guy who always reads the last couple of pages of a novel when he first gets it. He wants to know how the story ends. It drives me crazy, as a writer. But I understand the temptation. We all want to know how the story ends, right?

Well, the thing is, for those of faith in our Creator God, Lord of all, we know how it ends. Love has already won. Jesus on the Cross, dying for our sakes, sinners one and all, that's the Victory! Everything from His Resurrection on is not the "rest of the story." It's the climax of it, for sure. But the love of Jesus remains, the Peace of Jesus remains, the Truth of Jesus, the Life of Jesus, remains with us. The Holy Spirit is with us, dwelling within. Yes, you temple of the Holy Spirit you! As believers in the Risen Lord, we have the Victory Jesus gained for us. Jesus, the Way, goes before us to make a place for us in His Father's House. 

So, we don't have to know every detail of how this Plan works itself out. We just have to cling to the faith and trust we have in a God who never fails us, a God who will not abandon us, in a God who fights for us. And for this reason, even when things seem upside down, we can follow St. Paul's wisdom: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to Godyoutu.be/s-410S9wP0s." Yes, in thanksgiving, because we know that God has redeemed us, rescued us. God fights for us still, but it's not a question about who will win the  battle between good and evil. God's got this. He always has. And He always will. 

Remember that God is with us. Be still and know that He is God. Everything else is secondary. 

I just finished reading an amazing, moving article by National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez about the ‘pro-life’ movement. She writes about “healing our divided hearts.” I probably should just post her article and stop typing, but it’s got me thinking, as any well-written, thoroughly thought out piece of writing should. I am wondering why the ‘pro-choice’ side is so adamantly opposed to those who want to help women in unplanned pregnancies. (Click on the highlighted "article" above to find her essay.)
 
What is so wrong with people of good intent, who love the mother as well as her unborn child, accompanying the woman through her pregnancy, and then delivery, and beyond. Need a job? We can help with that. Need your GED? We can help with that. Need to find an affordable place to live? Affordable childcare? We can help with that. Need to learn how to care for an infant? We can help with that. Need help learning how to budget your income? We can help with that. Need someone to talk to, cry with, pray with? We can help with all of that, too.
 
The Pregnancy Resource Centers around the country are here to help a woman with so many of her needs during an unplanned pregnancy and beyond. There are also maternity homes that do the same, if a pregnant woman, i.e. a mother (once you’re carrying a child, you’re a mother), can’t live at home any longer. And then there are a few places like Lamb of God Maternity Home who help women who decide that the best thing for their baby and themselves is to place the child in an adoptive home, a home that is so eager and prepared to take in and love a new family member. 
 
Why are these options, the ones that encourage and then assist a woman who carries her baby to term, so abhorrent to many if not all in the pro-choice camp? I really wanna know. There is no exploitation of women here. There is only love and support. Why would anyone recoil against such a service?
Maybe it's out of ignorance. It could be out of fear. It could be out of the desire to ensure that one’s particular business is not made obsolete. The abortion industry makes quite a tidy sum. I suppose that’s fear. But I think the fear I’m referring to is more a fear of the unknown. What happens if we show compassion and give our love and support to every woman who did not plan to have a baby and cannot care for that child? How much will be asked of us? How much will we have to give? Why can’t we just advocate the “easier” way of removing the baby from his or her mother’s body so we don’t have to deal with that ‘problem’ anymore? 
 
But how does the mother fare after this? If she is coerced into that abortion facility and was unsure if she was doing the right thing, but does it anyway, there will be long term emotional scars that go with her out of that experience. If she feels she doesn’t have any other choice, the result is the same. It’s time for the voices of the alternative to abortion speak more loudly than the voices that seek to destroy human lives and often the women who carry those lives. 
 
We probably can’t speak more loudly on social media or in the press than the pro-abortion side. But locally, in our towns, in our communities, we can speak quite profoundly and distinctly through our actions. We need to do a better job of letting people know that the Pregnancy Resource Centers are available and ready to help these women in need of our loving embrace, of our resources, of our knowledge that can improve their lives and those of their unborn children. 
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For a list of some of our local PRC’s and other life affirming agencies including Lamb of God Maternity Home, please contact info@agnusdeifoundation.org. Lamb of God offers a "Come and See" option for a pregnant woman who is unsure of how she will proceed. LoG provides housing and support at no cost to the woman while she considers her option. Call or text 760-715-6463 for more information.