In the last 48 hours our social media feeds and newsreels have been filled with back and forth regarding NY's newest bill passed for "Women's Reproductive Rights".
I'll preface this by saying, yes, I'm pro-life.
Yes I believe abortion is wrong in ANY circumstance.
I believe the word of God is true.
I believe that purpose begins before conception..
“Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations— that’s what I had in mind for you.”
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
At this point some of you reading are already rolling your eyes, disagreeing, and thinking that I'm terrible for forcing an unideal situation on anyone without giving them a way out.
Please keep reading.
As my heart broke for the babies who's purposes were unfulfilled.. I know those babies were received by Jesus -
Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent, and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
But as my heart broke for the babies - I began to think about the Mamas. The Mamas who believed this was the only way. The Mamas who don't recognize these babies as more than just "cells". The Mamas who were confronted by a doctor they trusted - informed that their baby would not live a normal life or even survive - the Mama's who are told that termination is the humane way to deal.
My heart broke for the Mamas.
The reality is that abortion = loss. And with loss there is grief. Even more so because this loss was "chosen". The women who give up these babies may not face it initially but the loss happened and the grief will show up eventually. The guilt will come eventually.
I think of the Mama who aborted when she was young, miscarried when she was trying, and is now expecting a "planned" baby - unable to fully enjoy the pregnancy as she manages the guilt of the one she chose not to keep and the one she feels may have been taken from her as punishment.
I think about the Mama who's sitting at the doctor's office to check on the baby she's been praying for. She watches the ultrasound tech make faces that are less than reassuring only to rush out the door to grab the doctor. That Mama who now sits panicked and is told they need to do more testing. Post testing, they find baby has a condition that will hinder them from living a full/real life. Operations aren't an option and the baby may not even survive birth. It's best to terminate.
I think about the teenager who "messed up". She's got no one to help her, and the best option is to just "get rid of it."
I think of the Mama who's baby was created in the worst of circumstances - and the pure thought of a child coming out of that is physically sickening. So there's no other choice but to get it out.
My heart breaks for the Mamas.
Here's what I think needs to happen.
We have to change the conversation.
And before that - we have to be better.
What if the Mama who aborted young because she messed up was surrounded by people who loved unconditionally - and not just her parents, but her entire community. What if she lived in a town that had multiple pregnancy centers that were advertised as THE way to send young women who feel there's no where else to go instead of a planned parenthood clinic.
What if the Mama who was just given news that her baby wouldn't survive birth was told instead that "There's a severe chance this baby won't make it, but we'll do everything we can to do the best we can for the baby and for you."
What if the Mama who's baby came from rape or incest was told that though it may be hard for her, this baby could bless another through adoption. And real JOY could come from a terrible situation.
What if people were reminded that Jesus came by way of "unwanted" and "unplanned" pregnancy.
What if we stopped being so "self focused" and put others before ourselves.
The KEY characteristic of Jesus is that he ALWAYS considered others before himself.
And I'm not just talking to the Mama's, I'm talking to everyone. To me.
As a nation we need to STEP UP.
We need to get out of our self consuming, people condemning bubble, and we need to BE JESUS.
We need to act like him.
We need to think like him.
We need to speak like him.
We need to pray like him.
We need to love like him.
We need to show people that there is always a better way than to kill.
We need to show people that beauty can come from ashes.
We need to show people that true freedom comes when we submit to Jesus' Lordship.
When we submit to THE truth.
We need to show people that we're HERE for them in the hardest of circumstances.
We need to show Mama's that motherhood is WORTH embracing
And that if they feel incapable in the moment to do it that someone else would gladly love that baby for them.
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
60 million babies have been aborted since 1973.
60 million Mamas have suffered loss.
60 million Mamas have wounds that could have been prevented.
My heart breaks for the Mamas.
We have to change the conversation.
We have to recognize life as the gift it is - and that the gift exists at conception.
As Christians we need to recognize our fault in this.
We can no longer look in the mirror and walk away forgetting our appearance.
Forgetting who we are.
We must do better.
We must be better.
We must love better.
I said it in a Facebook post a few days ago.. If I don't say anything, and a million others who believe like I do, don't say anything, then the voice that needs to be loudest is quiet. I won't be quiet anymore.
And now I'll add that along with not being quiet, I'm going to focus on being more like Jesus, loving more like Jesus, praying more like Jesus. So when I do speak up - it's from a platform of truth with love.
When each of us begin to do that in an authentic, genuine way -
change will happen for light always casts out darkness.
For the Mamas who are struggling through loss due to a decision you made before realizing what you'd experience after - I pray someone comes along to love on you and help you heal. I pray the Holy Spirit would become apparent to you and that you'd lean into the Jesus who came and died to set you free.
For the Mamas who were told that your baby would be a hindrance, or would have a condition that was hindering, you were asked to play God because "that would be best" - I'm sorry you were put in that situation. I pray if you're a Mama struggling with that now that you would cling to the truth that God's purpose shines through EVERY circumstance and that good can come from the seemingly bleak.
God is Good.
Babies are a blessing.
And in seeking to be like Jesus, this is how we make that known.
