Little Ears Hear

Raising children to seek out God's purpose for their lives isn't always easy. We begin when they are young praying for them so that their little ears hear the words we speak over their lives. Our hope is that they hold fast to prayer and follow a path that leads to their destiny. My experience as the mother of three boys who are now men, ages 27, 22, and 18 is one of joy and tears. My husband and I have watched as each of them have encountered trials and accomplished victories. We have laughed with them, argued with them and cried joyfully with them at baptisms and weddings, etc. More than anything I think we realized that these sons would imitate what they saw and heard. This is the reason that standing for life and ministering to the hurting has continued to be a purpose fulfilled with our children by our side.

Throughout my tenure as a Pregnancy Center Director, our sons attended many fund-raising events. They not only attended but also volunteered. They have heard many pro-life speeches and captivating testimonies but the one that impacted their lives was their own mom's experience with abortion. They have heard about its devastating effects and they have heard about many lives saved through the work I've been involved in. I cannot begin to number the churches that our sons have attended through the years as I represented our local Pregnancy Center. They could probably quote those speeches word for word. I would guess that if each were asked about their church denomination they may answer, "I'm an all denomination man." They were impacted deeply as they heard the testimonies of women and men offered hope through the Pregnancy Center. They could probably describe more about abortion than most youth their ages through the years. I am sure that many Pregnancy Center servants can say the same about their children and families.

I realized how much little ears do hear when at the age of twelve one of our sons handed his dad a letter on a special Father's Day. He thanked him for all of his love and the time spent with him. Then in the letter and in the handwriting of a child it read, " Thank you dad for not aborting me." I was so tearful to know that through his little ears all those times he heard about the value and love attributed to an unborn child. He heard all those words in the speeches about the sanctity of life in the womb. He knew he was valued and loved when he was given life and even before birth. I believe the words of Jeremiah the prophet speak clearly and truthfully when he says of the Lord, "You knew me before I was born." (Jeremiah 1:5)

Our work in the Pregnancy Center makes a difference in our families lives as well. We must always remember that little ears do hear!