“I’m going to be perfectly [absolutely] honest with you,” the doctor said. “The only possible way to save your life is to perform an abortion.”

For a moment, time stood still for Helen. She wanted to live, and she had so much to live for – a loving husband and a bright beautiful two and a half-year-old daughter, and a successful budding career as an author. Abortion – oh!

“I’ll schedule you for Wednesday morning,” the doctor continued. “Be at the Memorial Hospital Tuesday afternoon at four.”

Well you can imagine, those words were hard for Helen – especially hard for her because five previous pregnancies for her had ended between the third and fifth month. Oh, how she wanted this baby! When she had gotten pregnant, she had gone straight to the doctor. But in spite of a doctor’s care, her health had still declined. She had went (gone) from losing 35 pounds to having to be fed intravenously, to now to this – an ultimatum. It was her life or the life of her baby. She knew and understood that sometimes abortion was necessary to save a mother’s life, but did that made it any easier for her?

That night as she agonized over what she was going to do, she had a most unusual dream. She dreamed that she was walking down a familiar street with her father who had passed away some months before. He was wearing his old familiar straw-hat pushed way back on his forehead, the way Momma didn’t like it. There was even the familiar wrinkle in his trousers caused by a too-big belly hanging over.

Ah, Helen and her father walked along in comfortable companionable silence until they came to the bridge over the river.

“I must leave you now,” Dad said.

She clung more tightly to his arm, not wanting him to go.

And then he said, “You can come with me if you want to. But if you go back and endure this thing to the end, you will have a beautiful daughter, and you will live to rear her to maturity.” And with that he was gone.

Was it a dream? Was it really her father? Whatever it was, the next morning Helen called the doctor and cancelled the appointment. Some time later, Helen gave birth to a beautiful perfectly formed little girl. They named her Sammie. That was 46 years ago. Helen lived to rear that beautiful little girl to become a happily married mother of 3 children herself. That little girl has been a great blessing in the lives of many people.

Now I want you to know something: We do not live alone in this world. There are those of our families who love us now more than ever they did in mortality. They know us, and they know our struggles. And often times by the grace of God, it is given to them to return and guide us, whether we see them or not.

God bless you!