This Christmas season, more than ever, my husband and I have a sense of expectation. We are expecting our firstborn any day now—in fact, I am writing this to you on my due date—and we are wondering when our daughter will make her appearance. We’ve named her Aurora, which means “light.” Our prayer is that her life will always reflect the True Light coming into our world that we celebrate each Christmas season.
And yet we wait for her to arrive.
Waiting to enter the Promised Land. The world awaiting a Savior. Children waiting to open presents on Christmas morning. Waiting on medical results. Waiting on answered prayer. Waiting to end the devastation of abortion in America.
As Christ followers, all of us are familiar with seasons of waiting.
And, as Christ followers who pray, seek and even take action in the areas of policy and politics to see a nation where life is cherished, sometimes the waiting can feel as though nothing will ever happen. But I bet the world felt that way waiting on Immanuel, too.
Something is happening.
Pro-abortion groups are buzzing about a new report from a network of independent abortion providers—those not associated with abortion mega-giant Planned Parenthood. These independent providers are responsible for over half the nation’s abortions, with Planned Parenthood and doctors’ offices comprising the rest. The report bemoans that in the last seven years, nearly one-third of all independent abortion providers have closed down.
This didn’t happen overnight. This type of result has been decades in the making—following the prayers of believers, churches and pregnancy centers ministering to babies and their mothers, strong pro-life laws and advocacy in states across the nation, and vigorous work in elections.
We saw more states than ever advancing Heartbeat bills this year—policies that ban abortions after a preborn baby has a detectable heartbeat, usually around six weeks gestation. With more heartbeat bills and laws emerging, this shows that states are more and more determined to protect preborn lives.
Most states now have laws strengthening the access to information about abortion that a mother must receive prior to an abortion procedure. These laws often include a requirement to offer to show the ultrasound to the mother.
And a new type of “information access” law for mothers is now in effect in eight states. This law requires that mothers be informed that a chemical abortion (abortion by pill) may be reversible—a truly life-saving law since many mothers regret their decision to abort.
Finally, at the federal level, the Trump Administration continues to prove itself as the most action-oriented pro-life Administration we’ve seen. Among many other steps the President has taken to protect life, his Administration stopped taxpayer-funded family planning grant money from going to abortion-providers. His Administration is also working to protect medical professionals from being forced to provide abortion services when they have a faith-based or moral disagreement with the procedure.
Again, these amazing advances to protect the lives of preborn babies and their mothers didn’t happen overnight. They are the result of God’s work through decades of prayer and dedicated action and partnership. Thank you for the role you have played—and for your partnership with Family Policy Alliance® to cherish life!
Yes, there’s still so much more work to be done to end abortion in America. And yes, Roe v. Wade is still in effect (and has been for over 40 years, much like when God’s people wandered in the wilderness.)
But, as I wait for Aurora – rejoicing that God has a purpose for her life – I pray you will join Family Policy Alliance and me in rejoicing over all God has done in the decades since Roe to show that He hears the prayers of His people who are desperate to cherish life in America.
“God with us” began as a preborn baby, which is all the more reason we are confident that He is not neutral or silent on the issue of life—and that all life can truly be cherished in America.
With great expectation,
Autumn Leva,
Vice President of Strategy
With great expectation,
