I was horrified by the gruesome scenes while watching the story of Kermit Gosnell, abortionist doctor from Philadelphia. Watch about it here. It caused me to think about abortion and the precious life God has given us all. Think about the following:
What if I told you I had thoughts of killing my kids? I’m not talking about being mad as a parent and speaking in hyperbole. I mean real thoughts of murdering them. The sane person would instantly begin to attempt to discern my intentions while they stayed with me to ensure the safety of my children. They would also, regardless of relationship, report me to local authorities who would in turn launch an investigation into my psychological condition and most likely take necessary measures to place my children in a background checked, well-trained, certified safe environment like foster care or appropriate relatives. I would be subject to constant evaluation of my personal sanity and parental ability. Petitions and actions would be taken by those who love and don't even know my kids to terminate my parental rights.
I would be labeled unstable, crazy, horrible, monster, and
deemed unfit to be a parent. Sure I
would be given opportunity to receive help and healing from my inappropriate
and gruesome mental status but still unfit I would be termed. This
reaction was spurred by concerned, loving citizens all from mere thoughts and, up this point, is free
from actions or signs of abuse. Love for my children stepped in certainly before death but even before minor harm
like bruises, scrapes, and other non-life-threatening injuries could
occur. Those who stepped in would be
heralded by society as heroes and I the villain. Who wouldn’t protect innocent
children from potential danger? Now my children would be
viewed as having a safe environment and a second chance at making the most
of their limitless futures. They would be free from the tyranny of a troubled dad bent on
causing them potential harm.
Now what if I told you I wanted to abort my children? Abort my daughter, whose brain and spinal
cord developed during the first month. Who would be able to walk away without
punishment from damaging the brain and spinal cord of anyone already born? Abort my son, whose fingers and toes, ears and
organs have all formed during his second month. Who would be
able to escape the legality of mutilating those parts of those already born? Abort my
daughter, whose heart is now beating at week 8 and is opening her mouth,
squinting her eyes, flexing her fingers, and stretching her limbs – all while
about the size of a grape. Surely, I’d
be arrested and face stiff penalties for harming these rights of those already born. Surely my son and daughters are alive at this
point and deserving of life? What would be
the reaction if I merely told you of my thoughts to abort?
Some would advise against abortion but no law would be concerned about my thought of it. Some would encourage me to take action upon my Constitutional freedom to
choose abortion. But was it me who actually chose to
start their lives in the first place? No matter – my freedom to choose freedom is what is really at stake. Democracy,
they say - exercising my rights as an
American citizen, is the real issue – not life. Men have died on battlefields to obtain the
right for me to kill my children in the womb and they also died to imprison me if even attempted murder outside
of the womb.
God is good though. I’m glad He gave my wife and I His love, wisdom, and compassion to chose life for our children – as if
we could elevate ourselves to the position of God to choose otherwise. I believe murder is sin - inside and outside the womb. Abortion is just a fancy word for murder in the womb like affair is a fancy word for adultery. Both attempting to scale down the seriousness of sin. Children are a blessing from the Lord – a reward.
We are blessed to have them and they
will never be put to shame (Psalm 127:3-5).
I’m humbled God would trust me with precious lives to shape, lead, and
nurture. I’m proud to be a dad who isn’t
perfect but empowered by a God who is.
I’m thankful the Lord knit my family together in our mother’s wombs and
saw our yet unformed wonderfully made bodies (Psalm 139:13-16). Before we were born, He called us (Isaiah
49:1). Before He formed my family He
knew us (Jeremiah 1:4-5). Thank you
for giving us life and entrusting us with the joy of parenting. Thank you for grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, healing and restoration in our worst sins. Thank you for
those same life-giving attributes accessible to others when they have wrongly chosen to end the beautiful lives You
have created inside and outside the womb. You died to give us life
abundantly (John 10:10) – all of us.
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