Inspire, Fall/Winter 2010

Master of Science in Nursing Inspiring Christian compassion. Pursuing advanced practice. Take the next step and apply today! cedarville.edu/msn Now Enrolling for Fall 2011 I am absolutely amazed at the number of Americans who have no clue that abortions are performed throughout all nine months of pregnancy in this country. I lived through it! I was burned alive in my mother’s womb for 18 hours. My medical records state: “born during saline abortion.” My birth certificate was signed by an abortionist. Is that not the vindication of almighty God? As I have thought about my life, I think it’s akin to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because there was One who was like the Son of Man who was with them in the fire, and the fire did not harm them. I should be blind, burned, and dead. I should have burns all over my body, but I don’t. That is miraculous. I should have suffocated to death, but God just held me. I find it interesting that there are many Christians who just want to talk about Jesus all day but don’t want to get involved in the politics and the public square. Think about this: Where are the key decisions made? When are they made? The heart of a nation unfolds in the political realm. We make legislation such as Roe v. Wade on the condition of our heart as a nation — on the spiritual condition of the nation. This is my story. I was delivered so that I might preach the truth of Christ in my time. I was born alive. A nurse called an ambulance and had me transferred to a hospital. I weighed two pounds, and they said, “There is no way this girl is going to live.” After several months of not dying, they concluded that I had a tremendous will to live. At 17 months old, I was diagnosed with what I consider to be the gift of cerebral palsy. Penny [my foster mother] took me in, and they said, “Gianna will never walk. She’s never going to progress. This is what she’s going to be.” Penny worked with me three times a day and prayed. And that is what these foolish people always forget — the power of God. No human being can look at another human being and decide what they are going to be. That is reserved for Christ and Christ alone, and there is nothing impossible with God. I began to hold up my head, sit up, and walk. I am God’s girl. He’s my mother and my father, and that can be really painful, but it can also be really glorious. The Lord can take tremendous adversity and make it something beautiful, if we choose not to be bitter. I have forgiven my biological mother for what she has done. I did not come from her. I came from God. So, no matter what your history, no matter your parents, no matter the unfair things that happen in life, no matter what, you are God’s, and no one can change what He has called you to be. It is up to you to say, “I will stand. I may be hurt, but the Lord will mend my broken heart, and I will press on for His glory. He will use my adversity as fuel to glorify His name. I belong to Him. I am held in His hands.” Gianna Jessen is a Christian recording artist and pro-life activist. Visit her website at giannajessen.com. I am God’s Girl Gianna Jessen spoke in chapel on September 15, 2010. A survivor of a late-term abortion, she has spoken to Congress and many audiences about her experiences and unique pro-life perspective. Her visit was sponsored by student life and was part of the 2010 Health Care Ethics Conference. The following comes from her message. Gianna’s full message can be heard at wcdronline.com/chapel . “I should have suffocated to death, but God just held me.” 24 fall/winter 2010