NO LONGER BOUND
My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long —though I know not how to relate them all. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
PSALMS 71:15–16 (NIV)
I remember the first time I heard my dad share his testimony. I was so proud of how far he’d come—from incarceration and drug addiction to completely sold out for Christ. But there was one thing my 8-year-old brain just couldn’t comprehend. How was my dad able to talk about the most painful and traumatizing moments in his life with so much self-assurance?
As someone who grew up in church, I knew John 8:36: Who the Son sets free is free indeed! I had recited and sang that scripture many times and genuinely believed I was free. But I carried a secret that held me captive in shame, guilt, and condemnation. It was a secret I kept from everyone in my life.
When I was 18 years old, I became pregnant by my boyfriend, and out of fear, ignorance, and pressure, I chose to have an abortion. I was so ashamed and traumatized that I promised myself to take that secret to my grave. I didn’t know how to cope, so I pushed myself into a state of denial. For 10 years, I pretended it never happened.
Then, in September 2023, I attended my first Chosen Conference and heard Pastor Irene Rollins preach on reframing your shame. I listened in awe as she fearlessly shared about her journey of overcoming alcoholism. When she encouraged women struggling with shame and guilt to come forward to receive prayer, I found myself on my knees, sobbing in front of two women on the prayer team, confessing to the abortion. The prayer I received that night was the start of an amazing healing journey.
Two days after the conference, I signed up for the Forgiven and Set Free abortion recovery small group. It was only after meeting with that small group and receiving healing I didn’t even know I needed, I was able to say, for the first time, “I am FREE!” I accepted God’s forgiveness and became a new creation.
In February 2024, as I stood off to the side of the stage at a Sisterhood event, preparing to share my abortion testimony publicly for the first time in front of 300 women, I was hit with the answer to the question that 8-year-old me couldn’t understand. It wasn’t confidence that I had seen when my dad shared his testimony; it was the truth of Revelation 12:11. We will overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. It wasn’t self-assurance that empowered my dad, Pastor Irene, or even myself to vulnerably share about the hard moments in our lives; it was freedom in Christ!
The Lord redeems us, enabling us to share our stories for his glory. He broke the chains of shame and guilt that the enemy kept me bound with for so long. Now, I can boldly proclaim the glory of God because he has set this captive free!
PSALMS 71:15–16 (NIV)
I remember the first time I heard my dad share his testimony. I was so proud of how far he’d come—from incarceration and drug addiction to completely sold out for Christ. But there was one thing my 8-year-old brain just couldn’t comprehend. How was my dad able to talk about the most painful and traumatizing moments in his life with so much self-assurance?
As someone who grew up in church, I knew John 8:36: Who the Son sets free is free indeed! I had recited and sang that scripture many times and genuinely believed I was free. But I carried a secret that held me captive in shame, guilt, and condemnation. It was a secret I kept from everyone in my life.
When I was 18 years old, I became pregnant by my boyfriend, and out of fear, ignorance, and pressure, I chose to have an abortion. I was so ashamed and traumatized that I promised myself to take that secret to my grave. I didn’t know how to cope, so I pushed myself into a state of denial. For 10 years, I pretended it never happened.
Then, in September 2023, I attended my first Chosen Conference and heard Pastor Irene Rollins preach on reframing your shame. I listened in awe as she fearlessly shared about her journey of overcoming alcoholism. When she encouraged women struggling with shame and guilt to come forward to receive prayer, I found myself on my knees, sobbing in front of two women on the prayer team, confessing to the abortion. The prayer I received that night was the start of an amazing healing journey.
Two days after the conference, I signed up for the Forgiven and Set Free abortion recovery small group. It was only after meeting with that small group and receiving healing I didn’t even know I needed, I was able to say, for the first time, “I am FREE!” I accepted God’s forgiveness and became a new creation.
In February 2024, as I stood off to the side of the stage at a Sisterhood event, preparing to share my abortion testimony publicly for the first time in front of 300 women, I was hit with the answer to the question that 8-year-old me couldn’t understand. It wasn’t confidence that I had seen when my dad shared his testimony; it was the truth of Revelation 12:11. We will overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. It wasn’t self-assurance that empowered my dad, Pastor Irene, or even myself to vulnerably share about the hard moments in our lives; it was freedom in Christ!
The Lord redeems us, enabling us to share our stories for his glory. He broke the chains of shame and guilt that the enemy kept me bound with for so long. Now, I can boldly proclaim the glory of God because he has set this captive free!
The Forgiven and Set Free abortion recovery small group begins September 19. For more information, visit seacoast.org/setfree.
For abortion recovery resources in the Greenville, SC area, visit the Piedmont Women’s Center at piedmontwomenscenter.org.
For abortion recovery resources in the Greenville, SC area, visit the Piedmont Women’s Center at piedmontwomenscenter.org.
Reflect: How has the Lord worked through some of the toughest moments in your life?
