Cradle My Heart: What Are You Thirsting For?
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Today's Scripture
“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband—for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”
John 4:16-18 NLT/ Suggested reading: John 4:1-42
Thoughts for Today
In today’s scripture, Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. He knew she didn’t have a husband. She had been married five times and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. But his invitation to go get her husband helped her admit the truth. “I have no husband.”
So, what if you were at the well that day? What if Jesus met you while you were out running errands and said, “Bring your child and come back”?
Kim says, “Before I knew his love, I would have been flabbergasted that someone so kind was taking an interest in me. But even as I saw there was no judgment, no malice in his eyes, I still might have avoided disclosing my choice to abort. I probably would have stuck to the facts by saying, ‘My two kids are in school today.’”
How about you? How honest would you have been?
Would you have told the truth about your abortion? Maybe you were victimized and forced to abort against your will. Maybe you had more than one abortion. Maybe your parents abandoned you as a teenager with an unexpected pregnancy or you followed medical advice to abort and have felt sorrow ever since. The pain we face after abortion is not always the result of our own sin. Your trust in God may have been damaged since you were so mistreated and so badly hurt. You may fear God’s anger because you understand you made wrong choices.
Consider this …
Keep your heart open to the simplicity of the Samaritan woman’s statement even if you don’t believe a frank conversation with the Lord can help right now. She simply said, “I have no husband.”
Could your acknowledgment of abortion be so simple? Are you ready to simply say, “I don’t have that child”?
Accepting this invitation to face abortion as child loss may take all the faith you have. Right now, you can’t foresee how anything good will come from this. Your mind may tell you it’s better to leave the past alone in silence because the process seems frightening.
Know what? Jesus is saying you don’t have to see all the way to the bottom of the well to know there is water, living water, there. He asks simply, “Are you thirsty? Will you receive this cup? Will you walk along with me?”
Are you ready to take his hand and begin that walk?
Prayer
Lord, I don’t know if I’m ready for this. And I do know I can’t take this step alone. Help me right now to just reach out and take your hand. In Jesus’ name ...
These thoughts were drawn from … Cradle My Heart: Finding God's LOVE After Abortion by Kim Ketola. In this book, Kim seeks to help those hurt by abortion to grieve with hope. Sharing her story and the stories of ten other women, she reveals that God's love is not a casualty of the abortive process. With an appendix of helpful resources and a study and discussion guide included, Cradle My Heart is a timely and important resource for the hurting woman, the counselor, and the church.
With an understanding and empathetic voice, Kim Ketola exposes the hurt in your heart, reveals the healing in God's heart, and brings the two together to create a whole heart where restoration and celebration are possible.
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