On today’s highlight post, my mother shares a part of her journey that I love. It’s bittersweet to read about, but at the same time there is freedom, liberty, and hope that it brings.

She’ll be speaking with me tomorrow at the Pure Heart conference. If you want to tune in live to the sold-out event, you can watch live tomorrow at 9:00am PST!

Millie [aka Best Mom In The World] is a talented, beautiful, feisty Puerto Rican who has been faithfully married to one crazy man and spawned five neurotic children. She loves being dramatic [which she’ll never admit], talented [which she doesn’t believe], and holy [which she doesn’t even realize].
Meet my mama, Millie. 🙂
Part of my story begins when I was 19 years old.  In May, 1974 I was awakened to the sounds of my mother and father getting ready to go to work.  I laid wide-eyed and as silent as possible in the wee early hours of this particular day.  I anxiously wanted them to leave because it was going to be a very different day for me.
When I finally heard the door being locked and the car driving away I let out a nervous sigh and made my way to the dining room window, pulling back the curtains to make sure my boyfriend was parked half block away, as we had planned.  And yes, he was.
I quickly bathed and dressed and nervously left the house as quietly as possible hoping my brothers wouldn’t wake up.  I slid into the front seat and softly said hello.  We drove down the 10 freeway silently towards Hollywood to the much dreaded abortion clinic. You see, I was pregnant and didn’t want the child.
We stepped into an empty waiting room which brought a great relief to me because I was scared, nervous and terribly anxious.  I wanted to be the first one in and the first one out!  They quickly called my name and I finished all the necessary paperwork.  As I turned to take a my seat again I was shocked at how quickly it had filled up. Every seat was taken with young faces but I could bet it was the young men’s decision for their girlfriend’s abortions.
Not my boyfriend.  He badly wanted me to have the baby.  He took on two jobs, one being at night.  Every night he would call from the noisy factory wanting to see how I was feeling and asking again if I would consider having the child, but it was a solid NO for me.
My name was finally called. I was taken to a dreary room to prep me for surgery.  I was terribly nervous when the doctor examined me and told me I was 2-3 months along.  A kind counselor followed with warm touches and strokes to my arm to calm my shaking body.  As I was being wheeled down the corridor to the surgery room I decided to change my mind. I told the counselor that I was going to leave and not go through with the abortion. She kept patting my hand and holding my arm.  The surgery room’s bright lights blinded me and I heard a voice telling me that everything was going to be okay and to breathe deeply.
I woke up in recovery and was glad it was all over.  I turned to the woman beside me and asked if this too was her first abortion, but she said, “No, it’s my third.”  I went back to sleep.
The recovery nurse woke me up and helped me into my clothes and handed me a cool glass of orange juice and bid me good-bye.  I sat weak and droggy waiting for my boyfriend.  He sadly walked up the lonely corridor and held out his hand to help me.  He hated me.  I know he did.
For two weeks I sat in a pool of depression, loneliness, guilt, shame, fear and remorse.  There was no one I could speak to.  No one I could trust.  No one who could understand.  But one lonely afternoon Laura came to mind.  Laura, myself, my boyfriend and so many others would party at her UCLA dorm room alot.  We had become good friends.  I decided to call her to find out the whereabouts of my boyfriend.  After we spoke for a while she asked how I was doing. At the sound of her caring voice, I began to vomit my pain into a listening ear.
But little did I realize that Laura had accepted Jesus as her Savior recently and took her time to share in length the love of Christ.  That afternoon this Glorious Intruder, Jesus Christ, made a brilliant entrance and broke through my dark world and illuminated it with hope and light, for Jesus Himself said that, “He is the light of the world.  He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).
I was a different person! Filled with hope and new aspirations.  I shared with everyone I came across.  Even my boyfriend. We decided to meet at Christmas to exchange gifts.  I opened my gift….a bottle of Barcardi Rum. I kept my mouth shut and accepted it.  His gift was a Bible, which he threw back at me.
After much praying he finally accepted an invitation to a “rock” concert with my girlfriends at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.  It was the happening thing back then.  Hundreds of hippies crowded the sanctuary with great music blasting and a fabulous message from God’s word moved his heart to finally accept Christ as his Lord.  Like myself, there was no turning back!!!  Both of our lives were changed forever.
Forward two years………………….we got married!  A year in a half later I was pregnant and what a difference this time around.  What a joy to have God’s blessings upon our relationship and our baby.  Three months into my pregnancy though my doctor recommended a sonogram.  As we nervously went to our appointment the technician that performed it kept making “hmmm” sounds under her breath.  She finally, with a large grin, announced that we were having twins.  We cried and laugh at the same time.  What a jubilant feeling and experience.  We were in awe!!
Walking back to our car we both realize that God redeemed us from our foolish, stupid, and immature decision years prior.  What I gave away He reclaimed.  What I tried getting rid of He gave back to me in the form of twins.  We cried and thanked God for His tremendous grace.
What was dirty in my life, He made PURE.   What was thrown off to the side, He reclaimed.  What was chaotic at one time, He calmed.  What a kind God we serve!!!!!!!!
I now have 5 beautiful children.  And the man that once threw back a Bible I gave him as a Christmas gift now serves the Lord as the senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Montebello, Pancho Juarez.   And a bout with 2 types cancer a few years back keeps me declaring that he is upright, He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.   This is my story of redemption. He is your Redeemer too!!

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