14 LIVES WERE SAVED LAST SUNDAY
...and the rest of the world didn't even notice.
Not because they didn't care, but because we live in a society that has convinced us that lives that have not taken their first breath yet do not hold the same amount of value as those that have. And the lives that were saved Sunday are still in the womb.
They have not seen the moon, or felt the warmth of the sun on their skin. But they are still very much alive, and I stood on that stage and fought for them.
I stood in front of hundreds of people and allowed one of my deepest wounds to be exposed. I didn't try to sugarcoat, or sensationalize, the intensity of what it's like to walk this earth with the invisible scar left behind after an abortion. I simply delivered raw truth.
Truth.
That's all it took for 14 people to make the decision to partner with Save The Storks and become a voice for the voiceless. There are so many places to find what I like to call "legit lies" when it comes to the abortion industry. I shared how one of the biggest things that pressed me to start speaking publicly as part of the new pro-life movement was the way facts were purposely omitted when I researched the abortion process before making my decision.
You believe in a woman's right to choose?
Me too.
In the midst of my selfishness, I prided myself on the belief that I'd made an informed decision. Being the focused, collegiate superstar that I was, making sure I was in control of what was going on in my life was very important to me. Not to mention I was seeking a degree in journalism at the time so thoroughly researching everything had become an obsession.
But I was lied to.
No one is to blame for the decision that was ultimately made other than me and my child's father, but I can't help but wonder if my decision may have been different if I had known more of what really went on inside of the clinic. Better yet, if I'd been able to easily find what goes on inside the conference rooms when abortion industry execs meet to set their annual budget and set their quotas. Most importantly, if I had known what the child growing in my belly really looked like at the stage of development.
He had a heartbeat.
Would I have responded differently? No idea.
What I do know is this: The pro-choice movement robs women of their right to choose when they only present information that makes their choice appear to be the only choice.
You think abortion is a personal decision that should be solely up to those directly involved in the end?
Me too.
That is why I will not be silent.
If I stand in front of 10,000 people and only one makes the decision to support this mission, then it's worth it.
Because the one child that decision represents deserves a chance to do what everyone who is reading these words has done.
Live.
Click here for more information on how you can partner with Save The Storks.
xoxo,
Ashley Danielle