Some women who chose to undergo abortion don't feel any separation pangs or regret, but there are some others who did and who came later to regret their decision. One such woman wrote to world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham and asked him whether she would ever stop feeling guilty over her decision.
In his My Answers page, Graham said one of abortion's unseen and unacknowledged consequences is exactly what the woman is experiencing: deep regret and guilt over what happened.
"Tragically, however, sometimes a far different consequence takes place: spiritual and emotional insensitivity to what happened. This, I fear, is the reaction of far too many in our society today," the evangelist said.
The reason for this, according to Graham, is that people have become centred only on themselves and what they want, instead of being centred on God and His will for people's lives, not to mention the lives of their children — whether born or unborn.
As horrible as the woman's action might have been, Graham told her not to lose hope. "What you did was wrong in God's eyes. But He has not rejected you or abandoned you. He loves you, just as He loved the child that was growing in your womb (and is now, I am confident, safely in His presence)," he assured. "Furthermore, when Christ died on the cross, all your sins — without exception — were transferred to Him, and He took upon Himself the judgment you deserved. As the Bible says, 'He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins' (1 John 2:2)."
To stop her feelings of guilt and grief, she must accept God's gift of forgiveness today. Graham said.
He said the woman should turn to Christ and invite Him to come into her life. Once the woman believes God's promise of forgiveness and embraces it, Graham said only then will she get over the past.
"In addition, ask Him to help you reach out to others whose hearts and minds have been scarred, as yours has been," he added.
