Right to Life

I remember the first time I ever took a pregnancy test.  I had only been married six months, we had big plans on moving away to seminary, and I was excited about starting my new career in a new city.  I was excited about buying our first home and working hard supporting my husband through seminary school. I was in the grocery store and I just happened to walk down the pregnancy test aisle.  It caught my attention and I began to worry about the possibility.  I was only a day late- it could not be positive, right?  I threw the test in the cart and grabbed the rest of my items.  I hurried as I paid for everything and drove back to our little apartment.  The line appeared almost immediately and I began to panic.  Panic is actually a huge understatement. I called Josh at work and I made up something to entice him to come home early.  Something came up at work and he was actually late.  As soon as he came through the door I ran to him crying.  He started to panic when he saw how upset I was and I unloaded the news. I just knew he was going to be disappointed and upset, all our plans were ruined- but he smiled!  After one minute of conversation we were laughing and happily anticipating the arrival of our newborn.  We could put off seminary for a while, but all the plans would still work out.

God had different plans.  After we lost that baby three months later we packed up our belongings, not much then, and moved to start our new life.  I could not imagine life any other way.  I never would have chosen to lose those babies, but God had a perfect plan He was working out.  I would not have the children I have today if I had not had the miscarriages.  At the time I was devastated, but now I see God was working.   I can not imagine women that have abortions and purposely take a baby’s life because it will interfere with her plans in life.  I think we have done a poor job at defining what a baby is and when life does form.  I think many young girls are not told the truth when they write their name on the sign-in sheet at the doctor’s office.  I know many doctors tell them they can take care of the pregnancy in a couple minutes and encourage the young mothers that it is too early to cause the “embryonic cells” any discomfort.  What many of them fail to do first is an ultrasound, showing the young mothers the formation of a head, body, nubs for hands and feet, and occasionally a heartbeat!

We had a lady from the Tennessee Right to Life come speak to our church Sunday.  I was amazed at how Tennessee tax dollars have paid for Planned Parenthood for the past several years.  Just this past year our leaders voted to allocate the 1.1 million dollars somewhere else- praise the Lord!  Planned Parenthood is a fancy term for abortion!  She explained how Tennessee Right to Life provides counseling to young women seeking abortion, offering them alternatives such as adoption.  They provide a counselor outside of abortion clinics that sit peacefully ready and willing to offer these young women, often children themselves, counseling.  About one woman per week chooses to talk with one of these counselors and actually chooses life for her child.

I could not believe  how easy it was for me to access abortion clinics in the phone book.  There are so many to choose from.  What once was a sin women committed in the closet, she can now walk around the corner from the supermarket and openly and proudly walk in and pay for an abortion.  Many of you would be surprised that there is something easy you can do to take action against abortion.  Call and ask your OB-GYN before your next appointment if he/she performs abortions.  If your doctor does indeed perform them, my advise is to change to a doctor that does not.  We as servants of Christ should not be paying the salary of a doctor that is profiting and performing these horrific murders. I actually have not done this myself but I will make the phone call first thing Monday morning.  Why would we want a doctor delivering our infant baby that would just as rather take that baby’s life than deliver it safe and healthy!

My cousin works for the Sheriff’s Department in Florida, and the Sheriff wants to deduct a minimum of one dollar per month out of each employee’s pay to donate to United Way.  He wants 100% participation or he will not be satisfied.  The problem is, the United Way in his region supports Planned Parenthood.  He has denied access to deduct this dollar from his pay and he is anticipating a call into the Sheriff’s office.  We must continue to take a stand if we want to be found blameless before God.  It is one thing to not know how we may be contributing to abortion but it is another thing to know and still contribute.

“Lord, please show me areas in my life that I may be ignorantly helping sin, even murder.  Please help me when I knowingly help sin.  Please help us to make a difference in our community by taking a stand on important issues.  Please help us reach the youth in our church and community and mentor them in the ways of Scripture.  Thank you for the beautiful babies You have given to me.  I am blessed beyond measure, I am blessed beyond what I deserve.  Thank you for the babies I believe are in Heaven that did not make it  outside my womb, I cannot wait to hug them and kiss them one day!  Thank you Lord! Amen.”

Great Youtube video- John Piper- it’s great!