In a time when I was so broken and feeling the weight of my past abortion, God, in His mercy and love, reached out and restored me.  The unbelievable sadness, shame and guilt over my abortion was taken away in His forgiveness. 

In Luke chapter 7, we hear of the woman who washes Jesus’ feet at the disdain of the Pharisees.  But Jesus says to the Pharisees, those who are forgiven much, love much.  I felt much like this woman.  I had sinned against God and I felt unworthy of forgiveness, and yet He forgave me, just as He did for that woman.  That is something that is experiential.  Experiential knowledge of the mercy and forgiveness that I received overflows.  I had to share this with other women.  Not because it was the right thing to do, but because I know the healing that comes from being forgiven much. 

This is the foundation of Hope Rising. 

I began ministering to women and that’s when I saw a need in two areas:

1) The need to bring the message of restoration and forgiveness to women who are suffering the aftereffects of abortion. That place of crying and sadness, guilt and shame, is not a place they need to stay in.  The secret post-abortive women hold is so dark, locked away, saved and protected, but it is this secret that keeps women from finding the true forgiveness, peace and liberty that God has for them.  It was a very frightening thing for me share the secret of my abortion.  I needed to know that there was a place that I would be safe in telling the secret, and in doing so was able to heal from the pain I was carrying for so many years. 

2) The need to bring awareness to the community that abortion hurts women.  The main focus, on both the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the abortion issue, is the child and without question, these are the most innocent of victims.  However, there are other victims.  Abortion leaves women with emotional, physical and spiritual scars.  This is a message that people on both sides need to hear.  Abortion not only steals the life of a child, it also shatters the soul of the woman.  We must all understand that to be pro-life, we must also be pro-woman.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”  It is in this place within God’s Word that healing and restoration for the post-abortive woman begins.

Hope Rising is a safe-haven for post-abortive women to finally release the secret and receive the healing that God has for them.  

Joanne McDuffee
Director, Hope Rising, Inc.