This week is the sanctity of human life week. As a mom of three living children, who suffered the loss of a miscarriage, I believe in the sanctity of human life. I can remember being in the hospital, going through a delivery and then and holding a small basket on my lap with Trevor in it. What could I do but to cry? I cried and I grieved for many days in the months that followed his birth. Just recently we were driving through Lubbock (which is where I lived when I lost this baby) and we drove by the doctors office where I was told that there was no heartbeat and in an instant my mind went back to that moment. I could feel the feelings I felt that day, I could remember conversations that were had. It is a very real loss of a very real child! It is a child that never lived outside of my womb, but as I gazed into that basket I knew the loss of a child.
The only reason I share this is because the Lord has changed my heart on this issue through my life experiences. I can remember having conversations with those around me and coming to the conclusion that a woman has the right to choose. It is her body and her life. I now believe that each and every child is formed by the very hands of God. I believe that each and every child is precious in his sight. I believe that these babies have no voice. When a mom claims to have the right to choose, her voice is heard but the baby must remain silent. It is an atrocity. It is wrong and we, as a society, turn our heads the other way and allow this to continue while we say and do little. Every year in this country 1.5 million babies are aborted. That is a startling statistic.
I am very uncomfortable writing these words. I know that there may be people reading this who have made that choice to abort. I am not passing judgement on you! I believe that we serve a God who is both righteous and forgiving. I believe that we serve a God who wants you to seek Him about this issue so He can forgive you, so He can love you, and so He can comfort you. He offers grace and mercy and I pray that my words are also seasoned with mercy. If you are struggling the pain from a past abortion please look into this study and look into the healing the Lord has to offer you and if you are willing to share this with me I would love to pray with and for you. Please feel free to email me privately at christahagler223@hotmail.com.
Please join me this week and throughout the year in prayer for Our Nation and Our President on this issue. Melinda is asking us to commit to praying for President Obama's heart on this issue every Monday morning. She will post a scripture on Sunday night so that we can pray over this topic in unity. Will you consider being a part? I will leave you with this short video...
6 comments:
this was amazing
wow... where to start?!
i thought about not commenting, because, well, i mildly disagree with your views on abortion (i will explain in a moment), and you weren't asking for discussion on the topic. but then i read that you were uncomfortable writing this post and i decided that i needed to comment, if only to commend you for writing your true feeling about such a serious subject, and continuing to be yourself! you feel how you feel and if you know it's right (for you) there's no reason at all to be uncomfortable. besides, it's your damn blog!
i said i would explain why i disagree, and i will (in general terms, to keep the anonymous, well, anonymous).
while i have no children, have never had an abortion, and can never imagine a situation in which i, personally, could make that choice in the future (illness, rape, or any other horrible thing i can imagine)... a person close to me, quite literally, had to make that choice (i can't elaborate)... i did not envy her that decision and we all supported whatever she would decide. i guess what i'm saying is it's the only abortion situation i've ever "understood". and while it hasn't changed how i feel about abortion, it has changed how i vote about the "right to choose". whatever you choose is between you and the man upstairs.
see? i wasn't a bit uncomfortable typing that! ;)
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with miscarriage and how it changed you. Many of us have a personal story as to why we have made the decision to take the stand that we have.
It is sad that many women feel the need to abort their babies due to unimaginable circumstances. It should be the Christian's desire to help those women who feel lost and confused and to show them the mercies and love of God.
My heart has been changed over the years as well, as I use to believe that a babies handicap, or rape could be the ONLY reason for abortion. I completely disagree now.
It is our duty as Christians to love those who are faced with such great adversities and to help them through it. We are to be there for those who have had an abortion and realize that they have made a mistake. I cannot image what they suffer being reminded of that everyday. I'm so amazed by the God we serve that He is forgiving and loving.
Thank you for this post,
Melissa :D
Thanks to all of you for your feedback and thoughts! I always welcome comments whether I ask for them or not.
The only reason I wrote that I was uncomfortable writing this is because I personnally know people who have made this choice and I adore them. I did not want them to stumble across this post and feel judged.
I did believe for a long time that the woman had the right to choose, but I now see this much more clearly as valueing one persons wishes above anothers. The one situation where I would be able to say I can understand the choice is when a mother's life would be on the line, but let's be honest...how often is that really the case? Those are the rare abortions. I can also see the struggle if the baby was created from rape, but I have a dear friend from college who took on the role as a single mother after being raped. Her little girl was in my wedding and she is a joy. After much struggle she chose to deliver the baby and give it up for adoption, but then was unable to relinquish the rights of her daughhter after the power went out in the hospital and she was forced to take care of the baby in her room throughout the night. Crazy story I know, but it is true and I know she thanks the Lord for this all today.
I have also had friends who knew they would not deliver a healthy baby and if it lived it would not be for long and they chose to put their faith in God and let Him choose when it was time for the baby to go. Again, these are not easy choices, but I know they would not change them.
For me it just comes down to my belief in God. I believe He is able to work all things together for good if we trust Him. I believe that the innocent baby has a right to be given the chance at life, even if the mother is not capable of raising the baby. There are many families who are willing and even desire to adopt babies. I also believe that Melissa is right and that the "church" needs to be willing to support and care for those who are unable to take care of their babies, but who are willing to give them a chance at life.
Thanks for the feedback. Feel free to continue the comments.
I couldn't agree with you more! Thanks!
jared
you MUST have picked up on my feelings exactly! in the situation i referenced in my comment, the mother's life was, in fact, on the line... she was diagnosed with mono shortly after she found out she was pregnant with her first child. both the pregnancy and the illness depleted her strength quickly... she needed help walking to the bathroom by the end of the first trimester. the doc put it in the simplest of terms... one or both of them would die during the next trimester if she continued to carry the child. She is a true believe that God walks with her through all and she seems at peace with her decision now, though i think she struggles with it for some years.
i'm sharing this with you as i realize how remote the possibility is of said person reading your blog, let alone my own blog!
side note... i have to say i can't understand an abortion because of rape. i don't want to be insensitive, but it's not the child's fault. i can understand giving the child up for adoption in that case, but why doesn't the child deserve to live?
it's easy for one (me) to have opinions, but maybe those opinions don't matter so much when those opinions don't come from experience.
again, thanks for sharing your story. you are such a strong woman in faith and family. you are much admired, dear. :)
Post a Comment