Guest Appearance by My MAMA...A Journey Through Abortion

 This special story is one of many times our family has seen God work all things for the good of those whom love Him and are called according to His purpose!!

ALL THINGS

After being married one year and giving birth to my first daughter, my husband and I moved to Lewistown, Montana.  I was working in the KFC drive thru when a woman about my age pulled up for her order.  I had never seen her before but something about her made me purpose to remember her face.  Something was different about this woman.  

 A few weeks later I ran into her at the grocery store.  I started talking to her and found out that our husbands worked together in that very store.  She invited me to her house for lunch so I gladly accepted.  While there, she spoke kindly about her husband and children, her house was peaceful and her personality was joyful.  Her son, Cody and my daughter Rossie were the same age.  As I prepared to leave I blurted out.."Okay Karla, what is it about you?"  She then told me about being a born-again christian.  I had never heard of such a thing.  I grew up going to church when it was my mom's turn to serve rolls.  I took myself to church when I was in high school and felt good afterwards but had no idea what the guy in the robe was talking about.   I knew I wanted what Karla had but when she asked me if I wanted her to pray with me I declined.  I was so nervous and excited.  I went home tho and hit my knees and asked Jesus into my heart.  When my husband came home I told him what had happened but he wasn't impressed. That summer his little sister came for a few weeks and during that time I told her what little I knew about asking Jesus into your heart.

Jumping ahead 8 years, I was now the mother of 3 children and we were living in Casper Wyoming.  After years of a rocky marriage, it ended.  I was 9 weeks pregnant with my 4th child and he wanted nothing to do with it.  He gave me $350.00 and told me to take care of it.  Alone I went to the office, had the abortion, went home , took a nap and never thought of it again...

or so I thought.  

 In a short amount of time I had gone from a respectable mother of three to a hard-core alcoholic who hid schnapp's in my purse.  I moved home with 2 of my 3 children only because I was told if I tried to take my son he would get them all and I would have nothing. So Rossie, Rikki and I moved in with my mom. 

I spent most of my time in the bar surrounded by people who thought I was really 'something'.  My mom spent most of her time taking care of the girls.  She finally got sick of my behavior and kicked us out.  I rented a house but like usual spent most of the time in the bar...drunk...hiding the pain.   

Once I even went to the bar and left Rossie and Rikki home alone..8 and 5 years old.  They would take care of me in the morning. Living like a lush, I became pregnant again.  The babies father wanted nothing to do with it so I figured I would take care of it again.  No one knew of my previous abortion.  I had people calling me to give advice but I wouldn't talk to any of them.  My mom told me to abort because I couldn't take care of the ones I had.  The father's aunt wanted me to come live with her and her husband.  They couldn't have children, They would cover all expenses if I would give the baby to them to adopt.  I told them no way.  Funny how I wouldn't give the baby to them but would rather have it killed.   

I scheduled the appointment for a Monday. 

Suday before I got a call from a woman who said that God was telling her and her husband to speak to me and for some reason I agreed.  No one knew I had scheduled the appt but God knew.  I met them at the Lutheran church and they began to show me pictures of how big my baby was (again I was around 9 weeks).   I saw a baby not a blob like the doctor told me before.  They then told me where I could go for help with food, clothing medical care,things that seem unimportant but are monumental when you are considering the life of a child.  They then showed me pictures of abortion and the dam broke.  I heaved with sobs as I told them what I had done and what I was planning to do.  They lovingly told me truth.  I knew right then and there that I could never do such a horrible thing again.  I went to tell the babies dad but before I got the words out he asked me if I was ready to be a mom again!    

On Thanksgiving Day (how appropriate), 2 weeks early,  Katy Kay Heck was born. What a blessing!  She was the apple of my mom's eye. 

When my mom was diagnosed with cancer, I would take her to her treatments. Afterwards she would want to go see the newborn babies.  So Katy would crawl up in her lap in the wheelchair and off we'd go.  It seemed important to mom to see new life beginning as hers was ending.  When my mom took her last breath 4 year old Katy was holding her hand.   

 Katy and I testified at the Legislature on 2 bills ,24 Hour Waiting Period and the Woman's Right  To Know, which both passed because seeing is believing.  Little bitty Katy was as tall as a Mountain that day!

The best part of the story...the woman that talked to me that day ...was my ex-husbands little sister...the one I told about Jesus years ago.  Full circle this story has come.  God knew.