In just a few days families across our nation will gather around tables to give thanks. Some will share memories. Some will reflect on God’s faithfulness. And some will look around the room at faces that remind them of the goodness of God.
There is a little girl named Lily* who will one day sit at a Thanksgiving table because of one simple question asked at exactly the right moment.**
“What would God have you do?”
That question changed everything.
A young mother named Maria* was twenty two years old and pregnant with her second child. Her first baby had already stretched every part of her life. She felt overwhelmed and unprepared. She believed she could not handle another child. She said she felt numb, as if she had pushed down every thought and emotion just to make it through the day.
In her mind the decision was made. She was driving to the abortion center.
But right before she entered the property, Vicky, a sidewalk team member with Love Life, stepped toward her car and gently asked her that one question.
“What would God have you do?”
Her eyes filled with tears. She said it felt like a battle in her heart. In that moment truth rose to the surface. She chose life.
What she did not know was that God had already prepared people to walk beside her.
Soon after her decision she was introduced to Sharon, a Love Life mentor. At first it was simply a mentoring relationship. But it became something deeper. Sharon encouraged her, prayed with her, and reminded her she was not alone. Sharon’s family cared for her like their own. The church surrounded her. A baby shower was provided. Every need was met with love.
Today when Maria talks about her baby girl Lily, her words overflow with gratitude. She calls her a blessing from God. She says her family has been growing closer to God because of her. She says she cannot imagine the regret she would have carried if she had not chosen life. She has learned that God takes care of His children.
Maria recently shared her story publicly at our Celebrate Life prayer walk, standing with her daughter and testifying to what God has done. Her courage and joy were a reminder that every life saved echoes far beyond the moment of decision.
And this is where Thanksgiving comes back into view.
Because of one question asked at the right moment:
A baby girl is alive.
A mother is thriving.
A family is being drawn closer to God.
A mentor has become like family.
And a seat at a Thanksgiving table will be filled by a child who almost was not here.
Thanksgiving is a time to remember the goodness of God. And stories like Maria’s remind us that God is still writing stories of life in the middle of real struggle.
This year as families gather, we give thanks for the power of one question, asked in faith, that changed everything.
*Names are changed for privacy.