Healing Hidden Hurts
Recovery
Ministry for Women
How
it began…how you can help
A
compilation of works by Debbie Miller
Healing
Hidden Hurts began in 1999 after many years of prayer and
discernment.
In 1977 I had an abortion and because of denial, I suffered
in silence for ten years not realizing the abortion was the
cause of my pain. When I reached a point where I had
impulses to commit suicide I remembered God, and when I
turned to Him, He came immediately.
A few years later I attended a Christ Renews His Parish
weekend for women and it changed my life. After my
conversion I felt compelled to help protect women and their
unborn babies from abortion because I knew how they would
be hurt. I went to the abortion mills to pray for them. I
would see the women going in and would feel overcome with
great sadness, because I knew their lives would never be
the same. They had no idea what they were getting
themselves into, and how much they would regret this choice
one-day.
After a period of time, I realized the Lord was calling me
into post-abortion ministry. My own abortion and recovery
experience would offer hope
to women. I could understand their pain and with loving
compassion and the Grace of God lead them through the
10-step recovery process.
In 1998 a friend confirmed my call to begin a post-abortion
ministry by inviting me to attend a post-abortion training
in Napeville,IL to learn the Victims of Choice
10-step process that was
being used successfully in London, England.
This program called, My Guilt, Grief and Shame is Ending
Soon, was put
together by qualified professionals who had worked for
years with post-abortive women and saw their particular
needs for recovery. It is meant for a lay facilitator to
use, and is used successfully in the U.S. and in several
countries.
A week or so prior to the training I was praying in the
chapel and a scripture ‘chapter and verse’ came
to mind so I looked it up. It was the story of the widow
going before the judge and pleading for justice. The judge
wouldn’t even pay attention to her, but she persisted
and prayed and would not give up. Eventually the judge gave
in just to get rid of her.
A few days before the trip to Naperville for the training,
this same scripture was the reading during a daily Mass.
This was the second time this scripture came to my
attention in a short period of time and I felt the Lord was
saying ‘pay attention’.
In Naperville, after my friend and I had attended the
Friday evening session we drove to the home of a lovely
Christian couple that had offered us hospitality. They had
no idea of the Masses that were being offered in the area,
so we looked in the phone book for the nearest Catholic
Church to find a Saturday morning Mass.
What providence, St. Raphael Church was located between the
home where we were staying and the Church where the
training was being held, and they had an early morning
Mass.
Would you believe the gospel reading that morning was the
story of the widow and the judge? The pastor did a short
homily on the power of prayer and persistence, and I felt
the Lord was driving home the point that this ministry
would meet with powerful resistance, and He was showing me
how to be faithful.
The justice I seek is to help women on the path to healing
by proclaiming the truth about abortion and the reality of
forgiveness.
Our heavenly Father waits for these prodigals to return,
and all of heaven rejoices over their repentance.
As the ministry has developed over the years it is apparent
that this ministry is not to grow in size, but to grow
outside as parish ministries blossom under the care of
pastors who see the wisdom in peer ministry.
Since I began doing ministry I have discovered that
abortion recovery is really a life-long process.
That is why it’s so important that the message reach
women that abortion is a traumatic, life-changing event.
Four thousand women a day are falling for the lie our
society promotes…that abortion is birth control.
That it is a safe, simple procedure that will take care of
your problem.
Women are often
so hurt, broken and devastated after abortion that they
cannot speak
about their experience for many years, until and if they
find healing. How many souls are lost from abortion?
How can you help? Share the truth that abortion hurts
women.
Become a 'grace' healer. Then join us to help pick up the
pieces for those who did not hear the message.
“This is the work of the
Lord, and it is marvelous to behold…come and
see!”
