Throughout history, bells have symbolized hope and good news. Next month, many of us will sing the familiar song, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”
If you’re a music history buff like me, you may know that Longfellow wrote the poem that would later be adapted into this hymn after the sudden, traumatic death of his wife, the near death of his eldest son (who was nearly paralyzed in battle), and after quickly becoming a widowed father of six kids. In his poem, the bells symbolize a deep hope that reaches far beyond tragedy, sadness, and fear. (If you’re curious, happy hymn history reading: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/the-story-of-pain-and-hope-behind-i-heard-the-bells-on-christmas-day/)
At First Care Clinic, we also want to celebrate the deep hope that comes when a woman chooses life. We know that the extraordinary transformational power of the gospel is strong enough to drive out all her fear. That’s why we’ve placed a bell in our back offices. This bell will be rung by the first person who learns of a woman’s decision to choose life. This might happen at the end of a clinic visit, after a follow-up call, after receiving a request for records, or after a future visit, when a woman tells us she kept the baby and had shown risk for abortion during prior conversations. This allows all of the staff and volunteers to share in the joyful news.
Our staff will be listening for the bell. And when we hear it, we will PRAISE GOD!