An Open Letter to those Who Have Had An Abortion:

To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you very much for taking the time to click on the link. I cannot begin to imagine the deep pain and hurt which goes along with having an abortion. I can’t imagine the overwhelming grief, the regret, the shame and the remorse which you are feeling right now. Let me ask you a question, do you feel as if what you have done is too horrible to be forgiven? Do you think you will ever be able to forgive yourself? If this is where you are, than I have written this letter for you.

True forgiveness is only found in and through the person of Jesus Christ. Now, wait a minute. Don’t tune me out just because I mentioned Him. God loves you. He wants a relationship with you and He wanted it so bad that He came to earth in form (Jesus) to live among us, to tell us about Himself, and to ultimately lay down His life for us. All He asks in return is that we acknowledge that we need Him and to accept His gift of grace in exchange for our sin. Yes, I used another turn-off word: sin. Sin, sin, sin. It’s an unpopular word and an unpopular concept, almost as unpopular as mentioning Jesus. But the truth of the matter is this: We are sinners in need of a Savior. God is our Creator, and Father, and as such, loves us more than we can comprehend. There’s only one problem. God cannot allow sin into His presence. So because He loved us so much, He made a way for us to be cleansed of our sin: He became the Sacrificial Lamb. Blameless, sinless, He offered Himself up on the cross, paying the penalty so we wouldn’t have to.

If you have never acknowledged your need for Christ, I urge you to do so now. No amount of counseling or therapy or drugs will relieve the load of your guilt and sin until you accept the gift of grace God gave you when He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross. He loves you and wants a relationship with you. He wants to be your friend, your comforter, your refuge, your hope, your peace, your joy. All you have to do is believe in faith that what He said in His Word (the Bible) is true. Then and only then will you find forgiveness, peace, healing from your abortion.

Once you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior, there are some things you need to know about true forgiveness. Such as:[1]

Forgiveness is not a feeling:

It is a choice that must be made as a conscious act of the will and has nothing to do with your feelings. The choice doesn’t change your feelings any more than your feelings nullify the choice. Make the choice is not the destination. It is only the beginning of the journey towards healing.

Forgiveness does not undo the damage or minimize the pain:

It does not sweep the conduct or the consequences under the rug where they will trip you up later. Forgiveness involves facing your feelings and dealing with them directly and honestly. Acknowledge the anger, the hurt, the guilt, the shame. But because your feelings will change daily, you must choose to anchor yourself in God’s Word that never changes.

Forgiveness is a product of God’s mercy:

If you feel that you don’t deserve to be forgiven, you’re right. Forgiveness is a free gift from God based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Just as you did nothing to earn the forgiveness that leads to salvation, you can do nothing to earn forgiveness for your sin now. You must choose to accept God’s forgiveness and you must choose to forgive yourself. God commands you do so (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Forgiveness is a command:

God never commands us to do something without providing a way for us to obey Him. It is impossible to obey the command to forgive without relying on God’s forgiveness to enable you. Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. In time He will enable you, through the power of His Holy Spirit, to completely forgive yourself and anyone else who may have played a part in your abortion (Philippians 2:13). However, you must first decide to forgive. If you will allow Him, God will work in you to free you from the bondage of the guilt, the grief, and the shame.

In conclusion, my heart, tears and prayers go out to you. I wish we were having coffee and I could lean forward, look you in the eyes, put my hand on your shoulder and tell you that God loves you and forgiveness can be found in His Son, Jesus Christ. Will you choose the path of forgiveness today?

Serving Him,

T. Elliott Welch

[1] Info from safehavenministries.com