Leanne's Story

As we’re rolling into our spring schedule, we’ve been rather busy with outreaches. Through these, I’ve had a plethora of amazing conversations, but one especially sticks out in my mind.

While in Chicago a few weeks ago, we were doing outreach at Daley Plaza with students from Moody Bible Institute. A few hours in, a woman named Leanne came up to me crying. Almost immediately, she began telling me her story.

“When I was 17, I was stupid and made a big mistake,” she told me. “When I walked into the clinic that day, I was assured that in just 15 minutes, the clump of cells inside of me would just *poof* and be gone. I would walk in pregnant, and leave not. It would be simple and painless. I was young and scared. I believed them.”

She paused for a moment to compose herself. I reached over and gave her a hug as she cried. Taking a deep breath, she continued sharing with me.

“My baby was killed at only 8 weeks,” she said, “What would she have looked like?”

We walked over to an 8-week aborted baby and she took a long look at them.

“They lied to me. She was more than just cells. She was a baby, and I killed her. Sure, the procedure was quick and physically painless, but they didn’t say anything about after. I’ve been carrying this pain for the past 20 years. What do I do?”

I asked if I could pray for her. She said “Yes, please.” With tears in our eyes, she grabbed my hands and we stood there praying on the busy sidewalk as the city bustled around us. As we raised our heads, she told me that she’d always considered herself a Christian, but the weight and shame of her past kept her from ever really experiencing a relationship with Him, but now she was realizing that it shouldn’t be like that.

 Before leaving, she thanked me, and told me that she would be praying for our team and that God gives her opportunities to share her story to help women avoid making the same choice she did. 

Thank you for your support and prayers, which help me to have conversations like these. I truly am blessed by you.

 P.S. Don’t forget to tune in to the Created Equal Facebook page to watch my boss, Seth Drayer, debate a professor from Purdue University on April 24 at 7pm over Facebook Live or watch later on our YouTube channel.