After a dozen years, it still doesn’t get old.  Every Mother’s Day, I am reminded of the women Lighthouse has supported to make brave choices – choices that have changed their lives and their children’s forever, for the better. Often their first life choice caused a ripple effect that brought abundant life and joy to those around them.

This Mother’s Day I am especially grateful to those who give sacrificially to Lighthouse to make our free services available to women like Julia.  Here is her story, which she shared at one of our past banquets:

Hi, my name is Julia.  I came to Lighthouse in 2011 after googling free pregnancy test center sites. 

Being an unemployed recent college graduate and newlywed, I was worried about how having a baby would burden me with responsibilities I wasn’t ready to handle.  I thought this unplanned pregnancy would throw my plans for a foreign service career out the window and possibly keep me unemployed for several years.   

I admit that I did consider abortion so I liked the fact that the Lighthouse website reached out to undecided, unprepared women like me and that it was free.  When I finally made an appointment to get that free pregnancy test, I met Marissa, who provided me with the free resources available to not only test for pregnancy but also to care for the baby afterwards.  My husband and I were amazed at how much easier and more possible giving birth became, just by knowing that an organization like Lighthouse was ready to support us every step of the way to delivery and even beyond childbirth. 

How could we resist the love of God we received through Lighthouse?  Lighthouse had given us our first picture of Brian taken at 6 weeks, and that was enough to cancel out any thought of abortion.  My first visit was followed by phone calls from Marissa, who continued to care and provide me with resources that prepared me for childbirth.  So then, my husband and I benefitted further from watching videos on the childbirth process and bringing home some items for Brian like baby clothes, toys and a washtub. 

In this way, Lighthouse became an example to us and our unbelieving parents of how Christian love builds families and communities.  Please pray with us that like Lighthouse, we, too, will be able to touch and improve the lives of others around us.  Thank you.   

This mother’s day I am also thinking of and praying for another young woman named Julia. This young woman bravely placed her son in the arms of a loving adoptive couple.  She sacrificed much to give her son the life she believed he deserved.  May God fill her arms and her heart to overflowing for this precious act of love.  And may He bless you for your precious gifts of love to those we serve.