My hands were shaking and my voice quivering as I attempted to introduce my guest for that day’s radio broadcast. Oh, I was a master at hiding my hurt and fear but this day was harder than most. Today’s guest was the director of a local pregnancy resource center. My guest had been arranged for me and the scripted questions written by one of our staff members. I walked into the interview totally unprepared for what God was about to do in my heart.

For years I’d been carrying secrets. Lots of secrets. Secrets about past hurts and mistakes that I thought would destroy my ministry should anyone ever discover the “real” me. So every day, in every public situation, I painted on a big smile, quoted Scriptures as if my heart really believed them, and determined to win the lost and encourage the saints by living the “perfect” life.

After all, isn’t that what it’s all about — acting perfect and encouraging others to do the same? Oh, how mixed up and deceived I was. I faked my way through the interview and couldn’t wait to escape to my car. Finally, when I was alone, tears poured out of my eyes. I kept thinking back to the interview and how the director of the center kept talking about hope and healing for women.

Little did she or any of my staff know that many years ago, I’d had an abortion. I desperately wanted what she was talking about, but I was leading a ministry. What would happen if people found out about my horrible secret? Surely I’d be banned by the whole Christian community and banished from the ministry.

For weeks after this experience, I felt like I was being pulled into a deep, dark place. I knew I needed to get in touch with the pregnancy resource center and ask about counseling, but shame and fear had such a hold on me that I wouldn’t make the call.

Finally, I confided in my mother-in-law, who lived out of state and who worked at the pregnancy resource center in her city. She called and arranged for me to have a private meeting with a counselor.

Because I was too afraid that someone might see my car and question why I was at a pregnancy resource center, I had my husband drive me to my appointments. Every week he would drop me off at a back door where I would make my way to a small private room with my counselor. She met with me one and one and told me of God’s wonderfully redeeming love for me.

I wanted to believe her, but remained convinced that God could not forgive me. Then one day my husband couldn’t drive me to my appointment and I tried to make it to the center on my own. Just a few miles from the center, I slammed into the back of another car.

As the other driver approached my car, I was shaking and trying to tell him through my tears that I was sorry. He very calmly leaned down to my window and told me that he knew I needed to get wherever I was going and for me not to worry about his car. He smiled, returned to his crumpled-up car and drove away.

Finally, something deep within me realized that all that my precious counselor had been telling me was true. I drove my wrecked car right up to the front parking lot of that pregnancy resource center. I walked up the front stairs and I told my counselor that I was ready to receive the hope and healing God had been offering.

So much has happened in my life since that day. I completed the PACE Bible study with my counselor. I then went through Neil Anderson’s book, Victory Over the Darkness and Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God. After going through these studies, I knew God was calling me to share not from the “perfect” platform but from the place of one whose life had been radically redeemed.

Slowly, God brought me to a place where I knew I was supposed to share my testimony with our staff. I was terrified. I was still convinced that in sharing my story I would shock our staff so much so that they would immediately ask me to step down as their leader. Finally, with tears streaming down my face, I told them my whole story.

Their reaction was something I could never have imagined. They gathered around me and poured their love and support on me. Then the miracle happened. One by one they all shared their own stories, some of which were just like mine. God showed me something amazing that night.

Every woman has a story. Some are less dramatic than others, but nonetheless we’ve all fallen short and needed God’s grace and forgiveness. We spend our whole lives trying to see if we really measure up — yet the Lord says simply to keep our eyes fixed on Him, and to follow Him, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

I now travel all across the country sharing my story with others. My hope is to draw women out from the secret places of shame and fear into God’s light of life. I have also written seven books, one of which holds a very special place in my heart.

It’s titled Who Holds the Key to Your Heart? and shows women how to find hope and healing past the hurts of life, including abortion. I dedicate this book to you for giving women like me a second chance by communicating God’s truth. Without the pregnancy resource center and the caring counselor that poured her life into helping me, I hate to think of where I might be today.

Please know you are making an eternal difference every time you step through the doors of your center. I know you probably have days where you wonder, and times when you feel discouraged. It’s tough knowing we won’t save every baby and it’s tough knowing that not every post-abortive woman will complete the Bible studies offered. But know this: you will make an incredible difference to many, and all of Heaven rejoices with you.

I recently met a pastor’s wife who shared a story with me that I’ll never forget. She told me of a young mother in their congregation who found out she had a very aggressive form of cancer. For several years she fought the cancer with harsh treatments, but her disease continued to progress and her condition worsened.

The doctors determined that a very dangerous and radical surgery was her only hope. During the surgery her heart arrested and the medical team fought frantically to bring her back. She did make it through the surgery but her prognosis was grim. When the young woman woke up from her surgery the doctors had the grim task of telling her death was near.

Upon hearing this, the woman gathered her closest friends and family members in her hospital room. The pastor’s wife telling me the story said the woman, though very frail, shone with radiance as she told everyone she would soon be going home but there was something they all must know first.

“It’s all true,” she said smiling. “The other day when my heart stopped on the operating table I got a glimpse of heaven and though I didn’t see Jesus, I saw enough to know it is all true. All that God’s Word promises is true and real and worth pursuing with all your heart.” A few days later she joined Jesus in eternity.

It is all true. Every word in the Bible is God’s truth, His life-changing, wonderful truth. God promises us in Isaiah 55:11, “My word…will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” You are making a difference. You are changing lives for eternity. One day, you too will see. You will see streets of gold lined with people who are there because of what you did here. You will see it’s all true.

Lysa TerKeurst is President of Proverbs 31 Ministries.  Contact Lysa at (877) 731-4663 or visit her Web site at www.proverbs31.org