USA (JFP) — Anna* led her young son toward the bridge, where she believed her final act in life would be an act of mercy. Without hope for a future for herself and her son, there seemed no choice but to end his life, and hers.
Anna’s desperation was no doubt born of an overwhelming set of circumstances. In the weeks prior, she’d tried what she could to provide for herself and her son in the midwestern city where they lived. But, her resources were exhausted. Her landlord would soon turn her out. She could no longer provide a roof over her son’s head, if she could not pay rent by his deadline.
Eviction! Anna felt utterly alone.
In search of someone who might help, Anna dialed the phone, even calling people she did not know, grasping at straws. One of those calls was to a local pregnancy resource center. They called her back and asked her to come in. But by then—the circumstances, the setbacks, the loneliness had taken their toll. She lost hope. Gathering her son, she made her way toward the bridge.
On a whim, instead, Anna turned toward the entrance of that pregnancy resource center. She shared a bit of her story with them. The center’s director ushered her to a quiet area where Anna viewed portions of the “Magdalena” film.
The young mother emerged a different person. Moments before, she saw no alternative but to take her own life and that of her son. But the message of the movie gave her hope that God would carry her through, despite the circumstances.
“Magdalena: Through Her Eyes” portrays Jesus’s compassion for women and historical accounts of His interactions with them. The film’s companion Bible study is a key part of this pregnancy center’s outreach for providing hope and help to women. What a difference it made in Anna’s life.
With the help of a partnering church, the pregnancy resource center was able to help Anna with her rent payment and she was not evicted from her apartment. The Lord directed Anna away from the bridge of despair and death toward Christ, the Bridge to the Father. Please pray for young mothers in the USA to see Jesus as their hope and salvation.
*Name changed for privacy
(Headline image courtesy Jesus Film Project)
