Baby Girl here is going to be 8 stinkin' weeks old in a few days. Where has the time gone??Plus, it doesn't help when you know a dozen pregnant ladies right now, either.
Okay, back on track...
Earlier this evening, I indulged my 100-times-a-day habit of checking on the updated Tweets by Mckmama about how Stellan is doing (not awesome, so check it out and pray!)
She sent out a post alerting everyone to pray for and learn about the mother of a very sick baby girl, April, who may not make it in-utero, and most likely not outside of the womb. What makes this new blog/story so interesting for me is that the mom is an unmarried, Christian woman. Let's just say that it's not exactly the easiest position to be in. Having a baby out of wedlock? People may shake their heads and move along. A Christian girl gets pregnant and all hell breaks loose. Well, that's not entirely fair. Some people are incredibly loving and look past circumstance to see the person. But I think most would agree that Christians tend to be a bit more likely to gasp, whisper and stare/glare than their secular counterparts.
I digress again...
Anyway, the first post I read ended with something that caused me to write this post: "God does not punish people with babies (sorry, Mr. President, you got that wrong)."
Even though she has been through a lot with the unexpected pregnancy followed by the dire diagnosis for her baby girl and who knows what else, she is confident that this girl was no accident and is of the greatest value, both to her and to God.
And yes, the President actually said that babies are punishment (if the pregnancy was a "mistake"). Watch the video. Seriously. And if you aren't already familiar, check out how extreme our President is on the issue of abortion.
This really got me thinking about how people view babies. I can understand that having a baby can be really difficult for some people, especially when the result (a baby) is not an ideal situation for whatever reason. I get that. BUT instead of thinking of this "unplanned" baby as PUNISHMENT, I think we should look at him/her as an OPPORTUNITY.
We make mistakes. Every single one of us. Some seem bigger than others. Some mistakes are exposed to the whole world to see while others stay a secret. But I think that while God most importantly offers forgiveness--for sure and for certain--he also offers us the chance to change the direction of our lives with our next decision. And the one after that. And the next one...
Most, if not all, of the sin in my life is based purely on selfishness. It's all about me. I'd venture to guess that it's the same for you, too. When Obama suggests that he'd rather his daughters have an abortion rather than face the "punishment" of having a baby at an inopportune time, I find myself glad I'm not his daughter. I like to think that a father should be the one to comfort and support his child in a time of need instead of compounding the problem with severe physical pain and psychological anguish.
I am so thankful that I have a father here on Earth who loves me regardless of my mistake and does whatever he can to help me choose a better path. He's the bestest. And I cannot even fathom how much more this is true of my Heavenly Father!
I'm having a really hard time grasping how huge--and wrong--this view of unwanted children is. It actually makes me feel ill. And angry. Very angry. Because to me the answer is clear. But no one ever said doing the right thing would be easy, and we are living in the middle of a world consumed by selfish desires and little else.
Last thoughts...
Is having a baby out of wedlock or at an inconvenient time truly punishment? Or is it the chance to turn a potentially ugly situation into a beautiful representation of God's love and grace?
Seriously--How can you not be in awe of how good God is when you look at this sleeping angel??
Posts
I agree with this post SO much I can't even explain! My daughter was with a man but single and she was raped - she was not supported by her boyfriend at all after this rape - he blamed HER, and the possibility strongly exists that the child she was pregnant with could be his - or could be the man that raped her....My grandson is now 5 months old - and he has a mommy - who loves him very much - she had a very high risk pregnancy and was on bedrest for 11 weeks - total bedrest! she came to live with me after she couldn't take the guilt her boyfriend was giving her on a daily basis - it wasn't good for her or the baby - now she's got a healthy happy very loved little boy who may not have been planned - but he was a gift from God - and he is loved SO much - Punishment? NO!! Thank you for posting your thoughts today!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing post! And, thanks for the link... my sil is in complete denial of how extreme Obama's views on abortion are. I had a friend growing up who was in a similar position as the previous commenter's daughter - no boyfriend, though. She was raped and became pregnant... felt for a long time as though that baby was a 'punishment,' but chose to keep him - despite a diagnosis of Down's while she was pregnant. (The doctors recommending ending the pregnancy, but she, at 15, refused.) That little boy is an amazing blessing to her, as well as everyone he meets. We may not always plan our pregnancies, but God does. He's got everything all worked out - before we even think of it.
ReplyDelete