Actress Ashley Bratcher Shares the Moment That Changed Her Faith Forever
By Jessie McGriff, Contributing Writer
Ten years before Ashley Bratcher took on the role of Abby Johnson in UNPLANNED and warned the world about the evils of Planned Parenthood, she was faced with her own option for abortion.
Despite being an unwed mother, Bratcher chose life for her son.
Bratcher told Faithwire that when she held her son for the first time, her perspective of the Lord shifted.
“I looked at him and for the first time, I understood relationship versus religion,” Bratcher said of looking at her son.
“I had always thought Christianity was a checklist, a set of rules, you have to do this, and this is how you can be a Christian,” Bratcher continued. “I never understood it was really about a relationship where you have a conversation with God, where you love God, and you do things out of respect because of that relationship that you have with God through Jesus Christ. When I saw my son, and I loved him so much I thought, wow, God must really love us so much more if I can love this tiny little person this much. That was the awakening that deepened my faith.”
That miracle of life isn’t the only one Bratcher experienced.
Just before Bratcher began filming and UNPLANNED was in pre-production, Bratcher’s mother revealed a long-held secret.
“It was the fact that she had gotten off an abortion table and decided to have me, and I never knew that,” Bratcher said.
“I don’t really know how to describe it other than shock,” Bratcher said of her initial reaction to the revelation that her own mother nearly aborted her.
“I was not mad or angry, I wasn’t sad. It’s kind of like having a near-death experience,” she said.
In that moment, Bratcher felt her testimony come full circle.
“I just thought about everything I had the chance to do here on earth, and where I was right then, telling this amazing pro-life story, and never knowing that I almost never had the opportunity to. I thought about all my relationships, my husband, my son, literally everything in my life flashed before my eyes because I was almost minutes from never having the opportunity to live my life,” Bratcher said.
These stories prove how precious life really is.
Neither Bratcher, nor her mother, were able to abort because each woman knew she carried a child.
God has a plan for everyone.
Had Bratcher’s mother chosen abortion, the actress would never have touched so many lives through her powerful performance in UNPLANNED.
Bratcher continues to give back to women in need today. She recently launched a scholarship that gives expectant mothers a chance to continue their education and balance motherhood at the same time.
Every life is valuable!
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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