By Jenny Wolter
Care Net truly is the hands and feet of Jesus reaching mothers and their unborn and born babies!
I’d like to share how the Lord used Care Net in my life in a way that Care Net may not have initially intended to minister. My testimony is not one of being a mother and facing an unplanned pregnancy. For it is by the grace of God that my husband and I waited for one another and were very excited for each of our children’s births.
If you will, let me take you back to 1975 when my parents were almost done with high school. They were and still are today- in love. As life usually goes, something unplanned happened- they became pregnant with me. My Mom has shared that she was scared and decided to keep her pregnancy a secret until it was past the time when she could legally be advised to get an abortion, which was about five months into the pregnancy in 1975 and 1976. My heart is so grateful for the sacrifices and love my parents gave to me, even before I was born.
Moving ahead to present day, I’ll make the math easy- I’m 46 years old now. At various times in my life, I have struggled with a question of my own making, which was, “Why was I, as an unborn baby in that situation, allowed to live while so many other babies weren’t?” About a decade ago, I really began praying about my questioning and spoke with a good friend in regard to the struggle I was dealing with. The Lord spoke to my heart. The message simply was, “You have been given the gift of life. What are you doing with that gift?” It was then I realized I needed to ask the Lord first for forgiveness for allowing my questioning of why to go from wondering to questioning Him. Please don’t misunderstand me – there is nothing wrong with having a question for the Lord. However, it is when our question goes from a question to the Lord to questioning the Lord Himself, where we find ourselves in grave error. This is the point to which I had allowed my mind and heart to wander. So, after asking the Lord for His forgiveness, it became clear that my thinking needed to change from questioning to gratitude.
Out of that, a gratitude and a desire stirred within me to use the gift of life the Lord gave – not for selfish ambitions, but for the Lord and others. It was shortly after this the Lord allowed my path to cross with Care Net while organizing baby showers at our church. For years, our church had been doing the baby bottle coin drive Care Net does on Mother’s Day. So, I was familiar with the fact they reached out to mothers and unborn babies. However, I had no idea the magnitude of their ministry truly being the hands and feet of Jesus reaching out to mothers and their unborn and born babies in the capacities they do. I was in for a wonderful surprise. The idea was to donate to Care Net through baby shower prizes for the games won by the women at the showers. Little did I know God had something greater in mind than just baby shower prizes. For it was through contacting them I began to realize Care Net was reaching out to people who are in a similar situation as my parents once were, and I had an opportunity to be a part in helping. My mindset went from questioning “why”, to this is an opportunity to be a part of the redeeming work the Lord is doing.
In a beautiful way, the Lord used Care Net to bring healing to my heart, not only through donating to them, but also by praying regularly for them. Through that, the Lord has given me a compassion for those in a similar situation as my beginning was, and has grown a deeper respect for those who serve them.
For years, possibly like many of you, my family and I have participated in Life Chains held in various cities. Those Life Chains have informed others, brought the body of Christ together, and encouraged many in various ways. It became evident to me that supporting Care Net was an opportunity to go a step further on behalf of unborn and born babies, and their mothers.
First, we can become involved by praying for Care Net as they minister and reach out. Now more than ever, Care Net and all of its staff and volunteers need our support through prayer. The Lord does care and hears our prayers.
Next, would be through donations. Donations ranging in various forms from volunteering, to providing material donations, to monetary donations. Care Net has made it very “user friendly” to give online monetarily, or one can send a check in the mail.
As far as material donations are concerned, here are some suggestions for ways we can become creative in our giving- possibly doing diaper drives, or food donations to the Elizabeth House. As I mentioned previously, for baby showers at our church, we have done prizes for shower games as donations to Care Net. These are only a few suggestions.
Lastly, would be to volunteer at the Care Net facility or at a Mobile Clinic. In my experience with Care Net, they are efficient, very organized and communicate well.
In closing, I’d like to share a Scripture verse I pray will encourage your heart. For it is one that is for every person who has ever been or will ever be. Psalm 139:13-18a.
“For You created my inmost being, You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.”
Each of our mothers chose the gift of life for each of us. In light of that, “What are we doing with the gift of life the Lord has given us?” Please let me encourage you. We all have the opportunity to be involved in some manner of supporting Care Net, whether it’s through prayer, donations, and/or volunteering.