Liz Preston and her husband Graham were planning to head overseas to be involved in mission work, but when that door closed, they became involved in supporting women facing unplanned pregnancies – a work that Liz has been doing since 1966. Liz has contributed an enormous amount to this work through the Priceless Life Centre in Brisbane.
How big an issue is abortion in our society? Who does it affect and how do they deal with it? Liz Preston has devoted her life’s work to thinking about this topic and helping women facing unplanned and crisis pregnancies. In this episode, she talks with Tori Walker about how she and her husband got involved in this work, the type of counselling and support that Priceless House is involved in, and shares some of the stories of the men and women she has helped.
A note from Tori:
This episode is a bit of a difficult one because it covers a really tricky topic, and that’s the topic of abortion. We chatted to Robyn Bain about the issue in Episode 26, and we were really chatting a lot about the theology of abortion as well as her work in thinking through a practical response – really from a big picture perspective. In today’s episode, we talk with Liz Preston, who has been on the ground working for an organisation called Priceless Life, which is in Southeast Queensland. Liz has so much experience and so much warmth and I know that the people who are counselled by her or who are trained as counsellors with the organisation really benefit from her experience and her humility. It just comes out so much in how she talks about this issue and the kind of people that she loves as she shares the hope that they can have and the options that they have in the future with their unwanted pregnancy. I say that it’s a difficult topic because I know that some people may have been really closely affected by this issue. But there are words for you in this episode, so if you think you can handle it, I think it’s a good one to listen to. Liz talks about how she and her husband got involved in this work and how God was at work in closing a door to open up what has really becomes such an important work for them. She also talks about some of the barriers that people face when they do have an unexpected or unplanned pregnancy. And also the hope that she has both for people that she counsels but also for our society and for the work that she does.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Priceless House – www.pricelesshouse.org.au
Circle of Security Course – www.parentingworkshop.com.au
Pregnancy Help Australia Network – www.pregnancysupport.com.au
Sound-bites from this episode:
(re: the issue of abortion) In a way, we’ve all become complicit and now we just don’t know what to do with it.
We all have a sense deep down that there’s something rather unpleasant about abortion.
We do know that people have been significantly helped by a phone conversation.
They are not going to be willing to sort things through with someone they don’t think gets it.
I don’t know anywhere else or anyone else where we can find such truth and love than in Jesus.
We didn’t do a lot in some ways, but obviously our support at that time had meant a lot to her.
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