I knew a girl, she changed the lives of thousands. And her funeral, every eye filled with tears, every heart broken. What was her contribution? How did she leave such an indelible mark on so many? Was it her flawless face and perfect body? Or her high IQ? Maybe it was her way with words, or her athletic aptitude? No. It couldn't have been those things. She lived a short 18 months. Never a word was heard from her lips. So much medication and drugs to keep seizures at bay that she could barely hold her head up. But that sweet face, at her first birthday, her pig tales, her family that adored her every breath. Life changing. My life was changed.
A pastor, with a wife and two
children, motivational speaker, world renown. This man. So badly burned
as a two year old, not a limb was left intact. Who would have thought?
His life, so purposeful. So impacting. Such quality.
A
pastors wife. Three sons, a loving husband and a story to tell. Her
life, it almost wasn't. Her grandmother was raped. Her grandmother chose
life. She is here because of a choice so few would agree with.
I
could go on and on and on. I really could. Should I? Ok. I have to.
Baby Samuel. He lived only a few hours. I still remember the day I saw
his picture slideshow through a friend on facebook. His parents knew, their time with him outside of
the womb would be limited. They treasured every minute. Their lives?
Forever changed. Would you like to ask them how many lives were changed
by their first son? I would venture to guess the number might surpass
the number of those affected by the average "normal" life. With so much talk these days
about life and death and who deserves one or the other based on what
their *quality* of life will be. It makes me wonder, what about you? What is your quality of life?
Should we measure? Should we compare? I would like to ask those making these life and death decisions, oh great knowers of the
future, could you, would you, have predicted the impact of these lives?
Could you have imagined?
"Do not judge!" is proclaimed constantly by those that are clearly critical of a Biblical worldview. Yet in an instant these same voices are ready to judge, to end a life, because they have found it wanting.
"Celebrate
diversity!" is our country's mantra. But what, I ask you, is more diverse than the
group of individuals I just introduced to you? Is our world celebrating
them? They have something to teach us. Their lives are worthy of
celebrating. But that is not happening.
My
heart has been heavy these past 40 days. 40 days of life. 40 days of
praying. Fervently. To save the least of these. Desperately. My friend
invited me to stand out front of an abortion clinic. I have never done
this. I did not want to do this. But I did. Want to. I had to. Do.
Something more. So we went. Me and my traveling party. Some mommies are
scared to keep their babies, I explained. So they do something
horrible. They don't know. They are blind. We need to go and pray. Pray
that they will do what is right. The children understand. They agree. So
we stood. And we prayed. And it was incredibly powerful. Like nothing I
have ever ever done. And I need to write about it. I need to, but the
words won't come. Because I need them to be perfect. Because I need
this to stop.
Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
― Edmund Burke
This
is what is happening right now. People don't know. And we are
repeating. This is what I know of history. I know that countless German
Christians hid away their Jewish friends, and neighbors, to save them, including, but not limited to, the well known Corrie ten Boom. I know
that Christian men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer fought Hitler from day one
until he, Bonhoeffer, was executed 23 days before the German surrender.
I know that some Christians fought. Hard. But I also know that some
didn't. Or I should say, some that called themselves Christians, didn't.
And millions died. Because there lives were not considered to have value. So we can ignore history, or we can learn from it.
But
people, we not only have history, we have the future! You see, our
friends across the pond. Ya know, the sinking ship we left hundreds of
years ago, they kept sinking. And have reached new lows.
Gender
selection abortions? They are happening in England. Right now. Oh
darn, I wanted a boy. Abortion. Try again. It's not supposed to be
legal, but
Ann Furedi, the cheif executive of their biggest abortion provider says it would be “wrong” to refuse to
consider an abortion request from a woman who cited the sex of her child
as a reason.
I'm sorry, What?
Or How about Mr
Lister a deputy mayor, also of the UK, who gave his solution to the high cost of
caring for disabled CHILDREN : "I would guillotine them."
Did
you read that?It's sickening. and all were "outraged." He
had to quit. But I can't figure out why. Isn't this what society
teaches? Old people, tiny babies, and the disabled. What good are they? He just had the nerve to say out loud what countless people
believe.
But Christian, I am also talking to you. Why? Well, statistics say that almost 80 percent of Americans claim to be Christians, yet, 40 percent think abortion should be legal every.single.time. every.single.way. You don't have to be a math major to see those numbers don't add up. The bible tells
me the world is blind, and I have to repeatedly remind myself of this,
because man, the things they say, are crazy making. But you church. You
should know better!!!
We have in office a man
who told planned parenthood, that the ban on partial birth abortion was
"disturbing." Sit with that for a minute. Please. Let all of those words
filter through your brain. The ban that said "no you can not crush the
skull of a baby and rip it out piece by piece" the ban, yeah, the ban is
the disturbing part to this man.
Then
we have Gosnell. Whose real crime was having a dirty office. His crime
was getting caught. You know he is not alone, right? But again, all were "outraged",
its so hypocritical. Yes, he was convicted of beheading babies born
alive. But, who would consider that a criminal offense? Our president? Not exactly. Oh and planned parenthood, What do they think should happen to a baby that escapes an abortion?
They say "we will leave that to the doctor and the mother. "
Elections
come and go, and really hip Christians say things like "I don't vote on
one issue. " Well how diverse. But please forgive me for wanting
"doctors" to stop ripping the limbs off of babies so badly that I placed that ONE issue above the rest. Because when a
baby is teething. TEETHING, we fill them with Tylenol just to ease the
pain, but a few months earlier, tearing off their arm? Well, that is a
choice and just one issue. and who would vote based on that. Tearing off an arm. Someone help.
This can't keep happening. And there is so much more we can do *in addition* to voicing our conviction with our vote. But none of those things are going to happen, unless their is a fundamental shift in the way, we, who call ourselves Christians, view the sanctity of life, and reject Hollywood's definition of worth and beauty and replace it with what the Bible teaches.
Every
life is filled with purpose. Those with special needs are especially
filled with purpose. The stories that I shared, could be multiplied over and over. They are not unique. There was so much pain, but they were also given a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. Their purpose comes from their common denominator. In each story, their lives were surrendered to the power and will of Christ.
And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
