Abortion Recovery Awareness Month

April is Abortion Recovery Awareness Month, a time to gently yet boldly shed light on a reality many carry in silence. One in four women have experienced abortion, yet Lifeway Research shows that more than half of women and nearly half of men affected by abortion who regularly attend church say no one in their church knows their story. Even within faith communities, silence remains common, but silence is not what God intends for His daughters and sons, nor is it where healing is found.

That truth was powerfully reflected at the Celebration of Restoration Luncheon, a sacred gathering for women who have experienced abortion and now walk in freedom through Jesus Christ because of abortion recovery programs such as those offered by PDHC. The luncheon stood as a testimony to God’s forgiveness and restoring grace, especially through this year’s speaker, Ruth Edmonds, whose courage and conviction reminded those present that redemption is both personal and available to all.

Ruth shared how her story began long before abortion, describing early “cracks in her soul” formed through abandonment, loss, rejection, and a fractured sense of identity. Those wounds left her vulnerable to decisions made in desperation rather than hope. While created with divine purpose and born into God’s favor, Ruth explained how those internal fractures shaped years of hidden pain and post-abortive silence. Yet through Christ’s obedience on the cross, what was lost in the fall of humanity was fully restored, making reconciliation and healing possible.

For decades, Ruth carried the weight of abortion behind what she called a “Christian mask,” believing forgiveness had limits and joy was permanently forfeited. Shame and secrecy became an internal prison until a decisive turning point forced a choice between self-protection and truth. When directly asked about her stance on abortion during a job interview, Ruth courageously shared her own story. That moment of confession opened the door to freedom, breaking strongholds built in silence and replacing shame with identity, and secrecy with purpose.