Of the many names of God, one of the first which He revealed in His Word is “El Shaddai,” which is commonly translated as “God Almighty”.
However, there is a deeper meaning to “El Shaddai” which speaks of God’s tenderness towards us.
Mary Foxwell Loeks explains:
“‘El’ is a shortened form of Elohim.
“It sets forth the might, the strength, and the excellence of God.
“‘Shad’ is the Hebrew word for ‘breast.’
“‘Shaddai’ pictures God’s fullness or bounty, His tenderness, His generosity, His desire to nurture us and make us fruitful.
“In one name, God’s attributes of might and tenderness are brought together!”
For the mother experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, being brought to the bosom of the Almighty God empowers her to mirror His nurturing of her to nurture the life within her!
At 18, Claire had already experienced “a lifetime of tribulations.”
Her parents were absent through most of her childhood, leaving her to fend for herself – including becoming homeless during the pandemic.
The lack of nurturance and love from her family had created in her a strong instinct to want to nurture others “to make up for” what she had not received.
In spite of this, when she found out she was pregnant, conflicting emotions welled up within her.
Strong maternal instincts were roused towards her child.
Yet, she found herself feeling abortion-vulnerable because she was uncertain that she would be able to provide for her child.
Terrified that her child would be subjected to the childhood she’d experienced, she was flooded with self-doubt.
“Would she be a ‘bad mom’?” Unsure of where to turn, Claire searched the internet for pregnancy options and found Heroic Media’s OAASYS Emergency Response ad which connected her to one of our Pregnancy Help Center partners in Dallas, Texas.
Claire established an instant rapport with her client advocate at the center whose compassionate demeanor was a breath of fresh air!
Through her, El Shaddai was manifesting His compassion and demonstrated to Claire His deep love for her!
This experience of being loved and nurtured by another empowered Claire to tap into her own caring personality and helped her envision herself as a mother completely different from her own – giving her the confidence to be a good mother to her baby.
Claire’s boyfriend accompanied her for the ultrasound, and both of their faces lit up when they saw their baby!
He expressed that he would do whatever it took to find employment so he could provide for Claire and their baby.
A deep excitement at becoming parents took hold of them, and in spite of the strong pressure Claire was getting from her family to have an abortion, both emphatically made the choice for life!
El Shaddai further proved His mighty care for them as they found employment and housing within weeks after their appointment.
Claire was also accepted into college during her first trimester!
She saw how the more she cleaved to the bosom of her Almighty God, the more confidence and joy she experienced in her journey towards motherhood.
Your support of Heroic Media’s OAASYS had a direct impact on turning Claire away from abortion, bringing her instead to the embrace of El Shaddai.
THANK YOU for being a conduit of His mighty power at work to save lives and souls!
Isaiah 49:15: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
