I was 21 when I found out I was pregnant. I was in a committed relationship, but he did not offer to marry me. I was poor and leaned on my parents often. The last thing I wanted to do was to announce I was pregnant and would need their assistance forever. I felt I had no choice, so I got an abortion immediately.
The clinic was very indifferent, and I felt like a sheep being led to the slaughter. I never met the doctor until he came in for the suction procedure.
I immediately felt the weight of what I had done. That shame and guilt lead me down a long path of self-destructive behavior that followed me for 30 years! Just one bad decision after another.
Then I went through the Forgiven & Set Free program. I had never forgiven myself for abortion. And while I will always regret it, I no longer live under that shame. I now lead that study and offer retreats two times a year to help other women forgive themselves.