A Victory

A young girl sat in the cold waiting room. Her knee bounced nervously as she stared at the dingy, white wall across from her. Beside her sat an unseen being. His piercing, dark eyes stared at her with such intensity that one might shrink to the corner at the sight of it.

The door opened, but the girl didn’t notice. An older woman with red hair and a thin frame went up to the woman behind the glass window. Their conversation was muffled and would have been hard to hear even if she had wanted to listen, but presently she was too distracted by her own fear to notice.

The being which sat beside her had become unnerved by the one who had entered with the woman. Blinding white and a tender look contrasted the dark being entirely. He watched with growing frustration as the one who had just arrived sat across from the girl, unseen, and touched her hand. Scared palms were visible as he gently rubbed her arm.

“I know you are afraid, but you don’t have to do this,” He said softly.

“What are you doing?” The dark creature hissed, “She’s made up her mind.”

Ignoring Satan’s words, he went on rubbing the girl’s arm until she started to settle, and her leg stopped bouncing. Then, the red headed woman who had come in with him took a seat next to the girl.

She glanced over, but then after a brief pause, she turned back to the girl and studied her a little longer. “Are you okay?” She asked in a hushed voice, “You look like you are about to be sick.”

The girl turned and saw the sympathy and concern in the woman’s eyes. “Fine,” She answered quickly, and then went back to staring at the wall. She wasn’t sure why but the words came out, “I’ve never done this before.”

The red headed woman sat back in her seat as the concern in her face deepened. “Oh.”

“What about you?” The girl asked.

“I come in here once a week to see if anyone would like to talk about adoption as an option for their baby.”

The girl’s face grew pale. Quickly, she turned her head away, sure that what she was about to do was written all over her face.

“You can’t do that,” The dark creature said, “You can’t offer your baby for adoption. That would mean going through with the pregnancy. That would mean everyone knowing what you did. You know you deserve this. You know you made a mistake, but this is the only way to fix it.” He was grabbing her arm tighter and tighter now.

“There’s no reason to go through with this now, if you want to wait and think it over a little bit longer,” The woman said after some silence, “I know how scary it can be.”

The girl turned back to her, “You do?”

“Yes, I once sat right where you are now.”

“What did you do?”

Tears welled up in the woman’s eyes, “I decided not to have my baby.”

“So you went through with it?”

“Yes.”

“Are you glad?”

The woman dropped her head, “I have regretted it every day since then, and that’s the truth. I only got pregnant once. I wasn’t able to have children later because of other health issues. I was scared. I was in a bad place. I was young and made a decision that forever altered my life. Now, I have two adopted daughters, and I love them more than anything. I come here to see if young woman, like yourself, would help women like me who can’t have children.”

“I don’t think I can do that.” The girl started to feel a cold sweat all over her body.

“I understand.” The woman turned her attention to a paper in her hand and began reading it over.

Just then the girl was called in to the office. She stood up and turned the woman who had sat next to her before following the nurse into the room. As the girl disappeared the woman closed her eyes and prayed.

“Lord, go with her. Even now work on her heart. Calm the storm of fear and change her mind. Grant this child life.”

Only a moment later the girl reentered the waiting room and sat back down next to the woman. She didn’t say anything but had her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

“I’m scared. No matter what choice I make, I’m scared.”

“I know.” The woman put her hand gently on the girl’s shoulder.

“I want to talk to you about adoption,” She said at last.

“I would love to do that. How about I take you to get some lunch, and we can talk it over?”

The young girl nodded, and the two walked out of the room. The waiting room appeared empty, but the two unseen forces stood staring at one another. The dark being fumed.

“You’ve saved one. How many times have I been offered the blood of the innocent? You think that one is a victory?”

“Yes. I do.” With that Jesus walked out, following after the two women.