In 2012, Kim Ketola went with a team on a pro-life mission to Russia as part of the pregnancy help movement to advise and consult with women who were starting pregnancy centers in Russia where abortion is not only legal, but extremely common as well. Kim explained how she was surprised by just how routine the procedure was to the women in Russia:
“When a woman is consulting with her doctor after the pregnancy is confirmed…the physician will say ‘Yes you are pregnant, are we having a baby or are we having an abortion?’ because abortion is so routine and it’s paid for by the state; and they do it very early with micro-tube in-office procedures.”
Because of this routineness of the procedure, many women have had abortions and then later experience spiritual crisis due to their decision. Kim elaborates,
“I think it’s inevitable that there will be a spiritual reckoning of that abortion at some point in your future if you’re a woman who participates in it.”
Along with that spiritual awakening comes guilt. Over and over, Kim says, the women would tell her that “I was a coward,” and when Kim asked for them to elaborate they thought that it should be apparent that the guilt they felt was from failing their moral duty.
“At the heart of the matter that was a spiritual crisis for me as well, my cowardice; that yes I lacked support, yes I was in a terrible circumstance, and yes I felt I had no choice, but in my heart I knew I was the last line of the defense that God had set up to protect the life of that little one. And when I assented for that life to come to an end the little one had no hope because of my failure to live up to my moral obligation.”
However this doesn’t have to be the end of everyone’s story. There is hope that can be found after having an abortion and with spiritual awakening comes grace. God is not only willing to forgive us, but he actually wants to as well. All we need to do is ask.
