by Allan Miller, Executive Director

Some burdens become so familiar that they begin to feel permanent. Year after year, the weight of regret, shame, and unanswered questions settles deeper into the heart. Many learn to carry it quietly, hoping time will somehow lessen the ache. Yet some wounds remain long after the years have passed.

For those who have experienced abortion, that burden can be especially difficult to bear. Fear, grief, guilt, and self-condemnation often remain hidden beneath the surface, leaving many unsure where to turn or whether true healing is even possible. The temptation is often to keep moving forward while quietly carrying the weight alone.

Centuries ago, God gave His people a different invitation:

“Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.” — Jeremiah 6:16

Those words remain just as true today. Real healing is not found by creating a new path but by returning to God’s path. His truth exposes what we have tried to hide, His grace reaches what we thought was beyond redemption, and His forgiveness provides a rest that self-effort can never achieve.

One of the ways Healing Hearts Ministries helps women walk that path is through our Binding Up the Brokenhearted study. Designed for those carrying the wounds of a past abortion, this counselor-guided discipleship study leads participants through biblical truths that address guilt, grief, shame, forgiveness, and restoration through Jesus Christ.

This month, we want to share the testimony of “TG,” a woman who spent fifty years carrying the burden of a past abortion. For decades, shame, regret, and self-condemnation kept her trapped. Yet when she finally chose to walk the path God had set before her, she discovered that the old paths still lead exactly where God promised they would: to healing, restoration, and rest for the soul.

The following testimony is shared with permission and lightly edited for readability.

“It was with a fearful heart that I decided to embark on a study that I knew would expose my sin and struggles. After 50 years of self-loathing and running from what I felt was the biggest mistake of my life, I was exhausted from the burden I was carrying and the mask that I was wearing.

I was afraid that I would have to stand up in a crowd one day and share my story, but my counselor assured me that this was not what this was about. This is about healing and freedom found in Jesus.

I learned that trying to forgive myself was not Biblical. I had to accept the forgiveness Jesus offered.

I will never regret taking this study as I am learning to ‘Stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where the good way is and walk in it; then you will have rest for your souls’ (Jeremiah 6:16).

I am on a path of healing and restoration one step at a time because of what Jesus has done for me!”

— TG

TG’s testimony is powerful not because she discovered a new truth, but because she finally embraced truths God had been offering all along. For years she carried a burden that left her exhausted, ashamed, and stuck. Yet when she chose to bring that burden into the light and submit it to God’s Word, she began to experience the healing and freedom Christ offers.

The invitation found in Jeremiah 6:16 remains just as relevant today as it was centuries ago. God still calls people to stop, examine the path they are on, seek His wisdom, and walk in His ways. The promise remains unchanged: “Then you will find rest for your souls.”

Unlike the people in Jeremiah’s day who refused to walk in God’s ways (“...But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”), TG chose to take that step. Though the journey is not finished, she is now walking a path of healing and restoration one step at a time because of what Jesus has done for her.

Since 1988, thousands of women and men have walked through Healing Hearts’ post-abortion studies, discovering that God’s old paths still lead to healing, restoration, and rest for the soul.

Stories like TG’s remind us why Healing Hearts Ministries exists. Every study, every Healing Hearts Certified Biblical Counselor, every training event, and every ministry resource is part of helping people discover that God’s old paths still lead to freedom.

❤️‍🩹 Pray for men and women carrying the hidden wounds of abortion.

💪 Pray that God would give courage to take their first step toward healing.

🧭 Pray for Healing Hearts Certified Biblical Counselors ministering through our discipleship studies. While summer months can be slower for group studies due to vacations, our online studies are year-round. Pray for our counselors to manage the summer season and persevere well.

As a donor-supported ministry, Healing Hearts depends upon faithful partners who believe in making biblical help accessible to those who are hurting. Simply put, we rely on you.

Your prayers and financial support help provide counseling-guided discipleship studies, train and equip Healing Hearts Certified Biblical Counselors, and ensure that men and women seeking healing can find help rooted in God’s Word.

Since 1988, thousands of women and men have walked through Healing Hearts’ post-abortion studies, discovering that God’s old paths still lead to healing, restoration, and rest for the soul.

Visit healinghearts.org/donate for a list of up-to-date needs and goals. Thank you for partnering with us as we continue pointing hurting people to the Good Shepherd, who alone can bring rest to weary souls.

Resting on His Promises,

Allan Miller
Executive Director