LifeDate Winter 2025 – Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
by Barbara Lane Geistfeld, D.V.M.
All over the world, men and women labor to uphold the value of God’s gift of life to mankind. They believe that God’s gift of life starts with fertilization and ends with natural death. They believe that all babies are conceived because God created that child on purpose—for a purpose. They believe with all their hearts that Psalm 139:13-14 is true:
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
One of the places where men and women support this gift of life is at their local Pregnancy Resource Center (PRC). One of these special women, Arlene Hamlin, attends Trinity Lutheran Church in Blanco, Texas, where she is a member of the Life Team of which I am the Life Team Leader. She is a compassionate voice For Life and has shared her story with all of us as an encouragement and blessing.
“I have volunteered for over ten years at a pregnancy resource center. As a Client Advocate, I have the opportunity to listen to the fears and concerns of women who are faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Many are being influenced by their family, friends, and the father of the expected child to abort their ‘problem.’ They are told that all will then be fine! But will it? Many have no idea what is involved in a chemical or surgical abortion. They come to us to find out how far along they are so they will know the cost of an abortion. In their minds, this is the only option they see. Fortunately, some, especially the young girls, are confused and seeking answers. I can, in a loving atmosphere, educate them about the process and the dangers of different types of abortions.
“More importantly, I have the opportunity to question them about their reasons for wanting an abortion. When they hear themselves state their reasons for seeking an abortion, I often see them start to question if this is really what they want. I can suggest options that address their real concerns. Our center is there to provide material support for their baby if they choose to parent and to help them find emotional and spiritual support for years to come.
“This is when I put a life-sized model of a seven-week-old baby in the palm of their hand. They see a tiny baby with a head, a body, and fingers and toes. One young woman gazed at the model in awe and said, ‘It’s got fingers and toes and everything!’ I explain that the baby has a heart that is beating and a very active brain. It is an individual with its own DNA and is not part of her body. Her body is supplying a safe place for the baby to grow into the child that is part of God’s plan for her life. If the girl is a teenager, I share with her that I was a teenage mother. I don’t sugar coat the changes it will make in her life. It’s not easy, but things worth having are not always easy, and the son I gave birth to was, and is, the greatest of rewards.
“I then take the girl or woman to the nurse where she receives an ultrasound. This determines the exact weeks of pregnancy and allows her to see the movement of the baby in her womb. Most times she can hear her baby’s heartbeat. This is a critical time when we trust that the Holy Spirit will open her heart and mind to the wondrous event she is experiencing.
“Working at a Christian-based organization gives me the privilege of sharing the Gospel with those who do not know Jesus Christ. I share with them the truth about God’s love for both mother and child. Except in rare cases, they accept me praying for them. Most days I leave the center with joy in my heart, having had the opportunity to advocate for life.
“But some days I leave not knowing what the woman will decide to do. It’s especially sad now with the widespread availability of abortion pills, even in Texas where abortion is illegal. These drugs are dangerous for the mother, and I warn her of the dangers to both herself and her baby. Then I must let her go, trusting in my heart that she and her baby are in God’s hands.”
Thank you, Arlene, for sharing your heart’s ministry with us.
It gives all of us encouragement as we continue to be Gospel-motivated voices For Life.
Sharing with others that we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made” and then trusting in God to hold them and us in His hands is a ministry worth living for.