Story One:

My “Life Story for His Glory”

Amazing Grace – Part One

At the age of nineteen my sweetheart and I found out we were pregnant.  We had been together off and on for three years but hadn’t yet committed to marriage. Although we had differing beliefs in God, we had a common belief that life was precious.  His belief that life was precious came from his mother who was advised by her doctor to have an abortion while pregnant with him because of serious health concerns. She ultimately refused the advice and survived the pregnancy to tell her son the story.  He grew up with the knowledge that he was given the gift of life by his mothers’ choice. My belief was from growing up in a faithful Christian home and being taught that God was the author and creator of life, thus precious and sacred.

I wish I could say that because of my belief that life was precious and my Christian faith, that I wasn’t tempted to choose abortion when I found myself to be pregnant outside of marriage, but, that is not the case.  The family planning clinic I went to for my pregnancy test gave me abortion clinic referrals when I asked about my options.  We discussed adoption briefly, but I was like so many in that I couldn’t consider adoption at that moment in time.  I had to first manage the fact that my sinful choices would be exposed.  You see, I thought I had continued to maintain the appearances of being a “good girl.” Being afraid of how others would react and judge, I discussed the option of abortion with my sweetheart.

Looking back, God’s guidance was evident in that moment as we discussed our options.  Because of my sweetheart’s knowledge of the life he had been gifted through his mother’s choice, he courageously and firmly opposed abortion as our choice. His firm conviction woke me up to the possibilities of being a mother. The knowledge that I was supported and loved by him gave me the strength to choose life for our unborn child and to begin our married life together, even though this meant exposing the truth about the way I had been living outside of God’s will. I am extremely grateful for the grace of God bestowed upon me that day because without it I may have chosen to eliminate that precious gift.

Almost two months later, one week before we were to be married, that precious babe was lost to miscarriage. This time in our lives was the catalyst for us to know the love of God on a level that was life-altering; a path that led to a personal knowledge of God’s amazing grace.   You see, what I thought would be my undoing was my remaking. The consequences of our sinful choices led us to know and understand how God uses other people to extend His grace and mercy to us. Everyone I thought would be disappointed in me, only supported and loved me to the point of me understanding Christ’s amazing grace, forgiveness and healing.

As I drew closer, I became established and rooted in His Word and I began to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.  It changed my perception of myself. He caused me to see myself through His eyes and filled me to the measure of His fullness (paraphrase of Ephesians 3:18). My repentance and obedience brought about changes in me that gave me an abundant life. The familiar verse Romans 8:28 reads “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The unconditional love we experienced was also the catalyst for my sweetheart, Jeff to begin turning away from his false belief system and toward a path of seeking the truth.

Now, over three decades later, we are blessed to have a family of three daughters, and three grandchildren. We look forward to the day when we meet our precious babe in heaven. My past has given me a heart to serve at Hope Pregnancy Care Center.  Over the last 10 years it’s been an honor to see God use my experience to extend empathy, compassion and unconditional love to others who are in the same situation in which I found myself many years ago. Serving at Hope is my offering of thanksgiving because I am loved and forgiven much by God.  With God, no trial is wasted.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”  2 Cor. 1:3-4

In His Grace,

Tami Campbell

Amazing Grace – Part Two

Coming soon…The story told from Jeff’s perspective.