How does a Christian get into a situation in which choosing abortion seems reasonable? How can an abortion effect a person’s life over the long haul?
Joni unpacks her story in brutal honesty beginning with her happy childhood in a conservative Christian home, then delves into the uncertainties of unwed pregnancy as a young adult, humiliating judgment from the church, and the darkness of abortion. She peels back the myriad of layers of her experience that contributed to and influenced her in choosing abortion. As her life unfolds, Joni experiences anger, depression, loss of identity, and suicidal thoughts. Her childhood dream of marriage and family turns sour as she struggles to bond with her firstborn and ends up with two divorces. She had no idea about the traumatic effects of abortion until her life began to unravel. But where does one go for help with such shame? It must be kept a secret at all cost. Joni’s story spirals through complications and dangerous despair, weaving in the whys and processing through the hows.
The story continues as Joni experiences an awakening of hope and discovers that God’s grace is big enough even for her. As the grief over her loss begins to heal, she invites others to join her on a healing journey. She shares stories of others whose lives were also devastated by abortion but likewise discovered profound healing. Joni Williams Shepherd leaves us with insight from her years of church experience in which abortion is rarely mentioned while life after life is traumatized by it inside Christianity. Joni finishes her story with a challenge to all of us that abortion debacle in the church is not too big for God. Everyone from pastor to lay person can become proactive in healing the wounds and running interference to prevent the future tragedy of abortion in the church.
If you can relate to Christianity in any way, this book will inspire you. If you can relate to abortion in any way, this book will give you hope.
NOTE: The stories in this book were extracted and expounded upon from Why Can’t We Say the “A” Word in Church? Overcoming Our Dirtiest Secret with Hope and Grace which also contains the information about The Scenario of abortion and its ensuing trauma in the US and the world, The Dilemma the church faces in addressing abortion, and The Remedy for how to address abortion in the church in a redemptive way, comprehensively and with compassion.
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