LETTER TO CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:18

     Grief is something we all experience at one time or another. It is expressed in a multitude of ways – some are obvious to us while others are hard to recognize. Often grief is associated with the loss of a loved one. However, we also grieve other losses in life – from jobs, health and abilities to goals, dreams and expectations (and the list goes on and on).

     Grief knows no clock. It cannot be reduced to a planned period of time. It may linger so long that life prior to the pain is seen as a memory. Its continued presence may even convince you that it is “who you are” versus how you express grief. With the hustle and bustle of daily life and the pressure to move past grief to productivity, it is hard to take time to consider if your ministry is having a grief impact on your life that needs to be addressed.

     The ministry of crisis pregnancy centers is greatly needed and is very intense. The stakes are high and the outcome can weigh heavily on your heart. It is difficult to see people suffering with abortion aftermath or making a first-abortion decision. It is just as difficult to see staff and volunteers suffering from a type of post-abortion stress. When grief from the stress spirals down into anger and bitterness, it has the potential of harming both the workers and the ministry.

     If this describes any of your staff and volunteers, they may benefit from a memorial service to assist them in dealing with their own grief. Since these precious workers continue in their ministry after the memorial service, you may need to provide them with this type of opportunity with some degree of frequency each year. May God bless you as you meet the needs of your staff and volunteers.

I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1-2

Copyright © 2004, Virginia H. Curd, Mechanicsville, Virginia. All rights reserved.