Cradle My Heart: Is Silence the Answer?
Monday, May 25, 2020
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
“Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.”’” John 7:37-38 NLT
Thoughts for Today
Cradle My Heart reflects Kim Ketola’s ministry to help individuals recover from the emotional and spiritual wounds of abortion. Kim speaks from her personal abortion experience as well as sharing the experiences of other women. This week we will look at some of these stories and truths from the Bible that can minister to anyone touched by abortion.
Kim writes, “Feeling overwhelmed and angry, I rejected my former fiancé’s bid for reconciliation and even warned my friend who suggested I speak with him that she was not to bring the subject up again. She didn’t.”
But Kim learned that peace isn’t merely the absence of conflict. “Soon I turned it all inward. This is all my fault, I told myself. I’ve made a fatal mistake and what’s done is done. And so, I began trying to separate myself from anything to do with abortion. The issue is such a downer. It’s just a big argument and no one ever wins. If the conversation went to abortion in a group of friends, I excused myself and left, thinking, I’ll lose my friends if they know what I did. I don’t want to break down in front of them.
Consider this …
Can you identify with Kim’s struggle? If so, you are among many.
“To choose abortion is to choose silence. We just want to put the whole abortion experience behind us. So we strengthen our resolve to shut down our thoughts and feelings and opt out of discussions about abortion, even with those who know us best.” Kim found that choosing silence can also make it difficult, if not impossible, to approach God after an abortion even if you hunger and thirst to be made right with him. “Soon the safety of silence becomes a prison for locking away the pain.”
Does a wall of silence shroud your heart? Do you feel isolated and alone? You can discover, as Kim eventually did, that Jesus is there for you—not to condemn and reject you but to free you to live another way.
Jesus knows your hidden heart ... and he wants to heal it. Completely.
Prayer
Father, this has been such a struggle for me. I haven’t even wanted to talk to you about it. I’ve walked in fear of someone finding out. I’ve felt that I failed so badly there is no hope for healing or for peace. Help me reach out for Jesus’ love. In his name I pray ...
These thoughts were drawn from … Cradle My Heart: Finding God's LOVE After Abortion by Kim Ketola. In this book, Kim seeks to help those hurt by abortion to grieve with hope. Sharing her story and the stories of ten other women, she reveals that God's love is not a casualty of the abortive process. With an appendix of helpful resources and a study and discussion guide included, Cradle My Heart is a timely and important resource for the hurting woman, the counselor, and the church.
With an understanding and empathetic voice, Kim Ketola exposes the hurt in your heart, reveals the healing in God's heart, and brings the two together to create a whole heart where restoration and celebration are possible.
PO Box 22127 ~ Chattanooga, Tennessee 37421 ~ 423-899-4770
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