Josiah Presley, an abortion survivor born in South Korea and raised in the US, reminded the March for Life audience that we are called to live so that our ‘good works shine before others,’ that they may glorify God.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) -- A man who lost a part of his arm during a botched abortion attempt on his life reminded pro-lifers that just as God had plan for his life, so does He for each of our lives – a key part of that plan being the glorification of God Himself.
Josiah Presley, who was born in South Korea and adopted into an American family of 11 other children, told how when his birth mother was pregnant with him, she decided to have a D&C first trimester abortion.
“This is the type of abortion where the doctor goes into the mother’s womb and rips the baby apart and brings them out in pieces,” said Presley. “They thought everything had gone according to plan and sent her home. And it wasn’t until a few months later that she discovered the abortion had failed, and I was still very much alive.”
Presley admitted that his life has not been an easy one. In a 2023 interview with The Baptist Messenger, he opened up about his emotional struggles he suffered as a teen.
“As a teen, I had a lot of image issues and self-value issues,” he said. “I struggled with feelings of worthlessness. I struggled feeling I had no purpose. I struggled with anger.”
Although he grew up in a Christian household, Presley said he “did not really understand what it meant to follow Jesus,” adding, “I did not have the power of God in my life, and I was also arrogant.”
Much in his life changed after an experience at Falls Creek Youth Camp, where he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. Over time, he came to forgive his birth mother. He now serves as a student minister at North Pointe Baptist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma. He and his wife had a daughter in 2023.
Presley declared at the 52nd annual March for Life, “Today I march to be a voice for those who are voiceless, like I was all those years ago.”
“Today I march because when I was unseen and devalued, my God had a different plan. And today we march to declare what our Creator has already declared, that all human life is valuable because it is created in the image of God.”
He exhorted his listeners to live the words of Christ written in Chapter 5 of the Gospel of St. Matthew: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor does anyone light a lamp and place it under a basket, but on a stand… In the same way, let your good works shine before others, so that they may glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”
“Today we are shining brightly. And may we continue to shine every day for the glory of our Creator,” concluded Presley.
