by Naomi Ahronson – Options Volunteer
Recently I went to Revive, the annual Co-Mission weekend away, along with over 2000 others. In my spare time I serve with Options Pregnancy Resource Centre (Options), which is supported by a number of Co-Mission churches. Options is a charity offering support to women and their partners facing an unplanned pregnancy. The charity also offers support after a pregnancy loss, whether that be miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion. While at Revive, I had the privilege of talking with other attendees at the Options stall in the marketplace.
The theme at Revive this year was ‘Faithful through the storm’. We looked at Bible passages including Psalm 89, where Matt Fuller helped us to see that the God of the Bible is surrounded by faithfulness (vv. 5–18) and he cannot betray his faithfulness (vv. 19–37). But then, in verses 38–51, the psalmist looks at the trials life brings and wonders where God’s faithfulness has gone. The world around us rarely seems to acknowledge there is a God, let alone that there is an apparent absence in his faithfulness. Yet at Options we are seeing something miraculous – the world coming to the church. The women and their partners coming to Options are in a storm and they may not be aware of God’s faithfulness, but we, the church, know that even when we cannot see God’s faithfulness, he is faithfully pouring out the saving compassion of Christ on the world. At Options we have the privilege of being a part of that by bringing Christ’s compassion to the women and men seeking refuge with us.
At Revive, Matt so helpfully pointed out that when we are caring for someone in a storm, quoting Scripture without granting space to lament can sometimes be a little brutal. Instead, sitting with them, praying for them and walking with them in the storm can really show them Jesus’ love and help them through their storm. We then wait for the right time and the right way to point them back to the God of the Bible. This is what we aim to do at Options, and many people have been helped through our work by the grace of God.
Do be praying for the work of Options. If you would like more information about how to get involved with Options, you can contact the Director, Nikki Mellard, on 020 8540 7675.
If you have been affected by anything you have read in this article and would like support for an unplanned pregnancy or pregnancy loss, you are more than welcome to get in touch – either through our website (optionslondon.org) or by calling 020 8540 7675.