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Black Jack Gum?

Karen Black Mercer • 7 March 2025

Two women rushed by me as I was standing on the sidewalk in front of Surgi Center’s abortion clinic in Atlanta.

The older woman yelled to me, “It's twins! She’s still in school. I can’t do it!”  It was obvious she was the mother of the young teenage girl she was dragging in, and she felt overwhelmed at the thought of raising twins. I’m sure she felt it meant double responsibility, double expense, double energy. 


Oftentimes I have wondered just how mothers of twins manage. How do you diaper two, feed two, rock two? Surely new-mother exhaustion is doubled as well.  


Twice I was told that I might be carrying twins. Twice I was disappointed. I have always been fascinated with twins. I think about the wonder of it all. When I see identical twins, I find myself looking from one sweet face to the other, marveling at Creator God.


My heart went out to the grandmother. I could see she felt overwhelmed. All she could see was double trouble.  She couldn’t see the double blessing.  


She repeatedly went in and out of the clinic to her car and back. She would run by me as fast as she could, holding her hands over her ears, refusing to let me speak to her. Once she screamed at me, “You just don’t know!” I said, “You’re right, I just can’t imagine.”  


The Lord had taught me how to reach grandmothers’ hearts. I just knew I could reach her grandmother-of-twins heart, if she would only give me a chance to talk to her.


I begged the Lord to do something!


Moments after my prayer, a man walked by me and said, “Here. Try this.” I looked down at what he placed in my hand. Black Jack gum? I looked back up to ask him, “What”? He was gone and she was in front of me instead. With sheer delight on her face, she asked, “Where did you get that?” Before I could answer her, she told me how much she loved Black Jack gum, but how she couldn’t find it anymore. She kept her eyes on the pack of gum in my hand. I held it out to her and asked her if she would like to have it. She asked, “The whole pack? You want me to have the whole pack?” When I smiled and said, “Sure,” she thanked me profusely for the gum, and apologized for being so rude to me. She didn’t move.


She kept her eyes on me as she opened first one, then a second piece of gum, and put them both into her mouth. Savoring the gum, she slurped another enthusiastic thank you with her mouth full. She still didn’t move. I now had a captive audience.  

 

She listened intently as I encouraged her with the love and compassion the Lord had taught me that would prick her grandmother’s heart. I stood there and watched the transformation take place on her countenance as she responded to light, causing the darkness and fear to leave.


Shortly afterwards, joy filled her face as she got into the car to drive for home with her daughter and precious preborn grandchildren. She smiled and held up the pack of Black Jack gum as they drove away.


Black Jack gum!


Never doubt the Lord will use anyone or anything to help you when you are trying to intervene on behalf of a child scheduled for an abortion, trying to encourage someone to trust Christ, or any other assignment you ever receive from Him. 


I was wondering . . . do angels chew gum?

 

 

NOTE:  Want to read more stories of miraculous intervention by the Lord?  Please click here:  karenblackmercer.com/store to order my memoir, Only If God Says So! for a reduced price and FREE SHIPPING.


Thank you.


(Available in hard, soft and e-book)

 

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