As I was pondering what to write for this week’s reflection, and in light of the tremendously disappointing outcomes of some, not all, of the initiatives throughout the country, I honestly was stumped.
I ended up going back and looking at some of my very old reflections from years past and stopped on one I wrote in April of 2020.
As you’ll recall, that was just a few short months into that surreal and unsettling time of Covid.
It took just over two months for the virus (and the fear) to spread throughout our communities and grab hold placing a stranglehold on our economy, our livelihood, and our societal norms. And worse than that – the feeling that there was no end in sight. Remember?
At the time I asked this;
what can we do? As a society? A family? An individual?
That was then and this is now.
How can we go forward when the headlines “Abortion wins in three out of four states.” and “Reproductive Rights Protected”, and so on are saturating our newsfeeds.
Well, I realized the answer was the same now as it was then. We fan the flame of hope. Always.
In the words of one of our more recent Commanders’ in Chief: “Pessimism never won any battle.”
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower (President 1953-1961).
This coming from a Supreme Allied Commander in Europe (1951-1952), Army Chief of Staff (1945-1948), Military Governor in Occupied Germany (1945).
And what is pessimism? Pessimism; an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome. (Merriam-Webster)
In other words, without hope.
Back in 2020 sitting here in my little office at Next Step Pregnancy Services, and now in 2026, sitting in the same little office, on a quiet morning, having seen a few moms come in for some essentials I wonder about Eisenhower’s sentiment and if we, or even just me, are fighting the fight or assuming the worst is yet to come.
And I am happy to report – it is the latter.
Today, as with back in April of 2020, from the donations of warm coats, onesies, books, and toys coming in, to my smiling staff still opening our doors, to the young girl leaving her appointment after a tearful hug with one of our nurses, but with relief etched upon her face,
to the husband and wife, wiping tears of joy from their faces while seeing their new little one on the ultrasound screen, the one they “weren’t ready for”,
from the heartfelt prayers of our nurse team as they lay requests before our Lord, asking that His peace and healing embrace our clients and their families as they carry the weight of worry and uncertainty.
I guess I could go on but I think you get it.
This is not the end.
For every lousy news clip or tragic soundbite or every bout of complaining and bashing of our leaders by our leaders, for every gloating meme, for every Monday morning quarterback, and ultimatum sent our way, for every missed opportunity to help a woman or girl choose life – I say this is not the end.
Because we are still here and still fighting and still coming up with new ways to connect, new opportunities to shine a light on life and introduce mother and child, to help each other, to see each other.
To the conversations we are having with our clients, to the prayers we are saying to each other and for each other. To the new programs we will begin offering such as a men’s program, and telehealth, and the new ways we are spreading truth.
We’re still here and we will still be here long after this election and onto the next. And we’ll cast our vote as is our duty and may get knocked down again. But we’ll get up again and again because that’s who we are.
So is the outcome of this latest election a reason to throw in the towel? For some it’s a sad, hard time. And we mourn with those who will be affected and those who have so clearly lost their way.
I’m thinking of the tik tok videos of young women celebrating the “right to murder their children”. Lord have mercy on their souls.
For others though, myself included, light always makes its way out of darkness. In every story, every picture, every prayer. This time will be no different. Why? Because He is now and ever shall be, the Victor.
