After several long and gloomy months, spring is finally here. The sun’s warmth is replacing the winter cold. Birds are returning from their migration and filling our days with beautiful songs. Other animals are emerging from hibernation. The trees change color, and barren branches sprout buds that will bloom into green leaves and fragrant flowers.
Spring is a spectacular season. This time of year allows us to witness and appreciate the beauty of life, from seed to sprout to seedling. Spring is a time for growth. It is also a time when new life begins.
The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates recognizes the beauty of life at every stage of development. Thanks to our pioneering use of ultrasound technology in pregnancy centers, mothers and fathers can witness human life at its earliest stages. Ultrasound reveals that the tiny person in the womb is as beautiful as a rose. However, as the image-bearers of God, these lives are infinitely more precious.
Just as flowers need sunshine and nutrients, families need love and support. It is especially essential to love, care for and nurture women facing unplanned pregnancies. NIFLA strives to support women and babies through its network of over 1,600 pregnancy centers, which includes over 1,200 licensed medical centers. Our centers provide an abundance of services to expectant mothers, from diapers, vitamins and clothes to parenting classes and postpartum care.
A woman we will call “Sarah” became pregnant when she was just a high school senior. She sought help through a NIFLA member pregnancy center called Waterleaf.
“Those first five months were hellish, and I wouldn’t have been able to see those better days ahead without Waterleaf,” Sarah said. “I’ll be forever thankful for them. My son will forever be thankful too.”
Christians across the country – and across the world – celebrate Easter during the spring season. Easter is the day on which believers remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This holiday is about hope. It is about the divine and the sacred gift of life.
April has been designated as Abortion Recovery Awareness Month. People often search for hope and healing after abortion. Many women report immense pain and regret after falling prey to the deception of the abortion industry, which is eager to profit from their decision. Men also suffer during the aftermath of an abortion. They grieve children they never got the chance to meet.
Because they wish to help families no matter what they decide, NIFLA pregnancy centers often provide post-abortive support and resources. There are also ministries like Rachel’s Vineyard and Silent No More designed to help post-abortive women and men find healing and share their stories.
Many people are hopeful that Roe v. Wade will be overturned this year. The U.S. Supreme Court heard the oral arguments for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in December, and a ruling is expected soon. The decision in this pivotal case will make the work of NIFLA’s nationwide network of pregnancy centers more important than ever.
Thousands of doctors, nurses, counselors and volunteers on the front lines of the pregnancy center movement provide hope during times of fear and hardship. Their efforts to aid women, babies and families deserve recognition. This spring, please keep the vital work of pregnancy centers in mind. They need your support to make sure no mother is left to face the fear of unplanned pregnancy alone.
You can help NIFLA and the women, children and families our centers serve by making a donation today. In addition, please support local pregnancy centers like Waterleaf so they can continue to love and nurture those in need.
Heather Valenzano graduated from Iona College with a degree in Mass Communications, a concentration in Journalism and a minor in English. She wrote blogs on adoption and surrogacy during a previous internship with Adoption Choices of Oklahoma.