The Choice is Yours
So many choices in life. Whether to have cereal or eggs for breakfast? Whether to go to college or get a job after high school? Whether to plant or whether to uproot? Whether to go out or stay home? Whether to speak the truth in love or remain silent? Whether to be “intimate” with someone other than one’s husband or wife, or to do things in the way that God designed? Whether to take the life of the little innocent baby human who resulted from that union, or to enter into the risk and joy of motherhood? Whether to post something as controversial as this or not? I guess this is a “choose ye this day” type of time.
Before I begin, I know this discussion may stir up emotions and reactions from those coming from many backgrounds and with various viewpoints. I don’t share this to be obnoxious, but rather because my heart is broken, as I believe God’s heart is broken, and I desire to at least shed a little light on the situation.
The Beauty of June
I had an experience a few weeks ago that seems relevant in some ways to our recent topics, our “gardening” theme, and ongoing cultural discussions as well. The month of June is so very beautiful (at least in the northeastern US)! It is celebrated for numbers of things. Many weddings happen this time of year (our own wedding anniversary is in June). It has a day set apart where we celebrate fathers and all that they contribute to the lives of their children and families. It’s the month that most school children rejoice in the beginning of summer, and freedom from their normal school routine. It begins many vacation excursions. And who could miss the cultural appropriation of this spectacular month, by “pride”?
Happy Life Month
In the past couple of years, one suggestion I’ve heard about celebrating this month is that it is the month in which “Roe” was overturned a couple of years ago. So, I herein echo the sentiment of “Happy Life Month”.
Sadly, since that court decision, the forces that want to continue the slaughter of the innocents have redoubled their efforts, to ensure that the bloodshed continues (yes, I know that sounds harsh, but if you really look at it objectively, that’s exactly what it is). Regrettably, our own state has been engaged in making us a haven for those who want to take the lives of those who have no voices, even welcoming in people from other states where they are restricted from engaging in this murderous activity.
It breaks my heart, not only because I know that each little one bears the image of the living God in heaven Who weaves together children in their mother’s wombs (Psalm 139:13-16), but also that often the mothers who are agreeing to this gruesome procedure are told lies that will impact them for the rest of their lives (here and in eternity). Those who tell them such lies, say that they are doing it for the woman’s good (misleading them to think that this “being” inside them is not a being at all, it’s just some blob of tissue, or like a leech, or that the little one will feel no pain and is better off dead). Is it not amazing that when a woman WANTS the child in her womb, her heart leaps at every movement, every heartbeat that she sees on a monitor, even every sacrifice that she makes on her baby’s behalf–yet when the child gets in the way of a woman’s selfish desires, it is just a clump of cells?
Our amazing oh-so-Catholic governor is all for the annihilation of these small defenseless people. After all, I’m sure there are a lot of organizations made up of many strong, wealthy and proud full grown adults that make sure he stays in power as long as he promotes their disgusting purposes. Regrettably, in various states like ours, those who would dare try to speak up for these tiny humans who don’t yet have a voice of their own, are silenced and sometimes even convicted for things like praying outside clinics or trying to speak the truth to women headed for a life altering decision before it is too late for them, etc. Surely, you’ve heard of it in the news as of late….
In Tune with the Spirit
My heart was so grieved on that day a few weeks ago, mentioned earlier, when I had gone to a local abortion clinic to shine the light on that utter darkness which pervades that place day after day, week after week…. A few of our church members went that day, and I had brought my guitar, and stood across the busy downtown street, watching those going in and out of those doors, those who “protected” them as they walked, and those who shouted at them to try to deter them somehow. I sang at the top of my lungs, many beautiful songs that lift up Jesus, hoping that somehow the message would stick in the minds of those there that this dastardly deed was not done in the dark. The Lord sees it ALL, and there is (and will be) no hiding from His searching eyes.
My heart prayed as I sang, and continued afterwards too, with a brokenness and sorrow for just about everyone there that day. Some walked by me and seemed to be on the same page, almost offering a silent “thumbs up” with a smile. Others, came up and just glared at me. The other side of the street was utter chaos for much of the time, at least from my vantage point. After that day, I wondered if our efforts at communicating the horror of baby killing are falling on many deaf ears because our approach is so very abrasive. I know those who are outside and shouting (even quoting Bible verses) have all intentions of stopping this atrocity. I agree that sometimes to get a point across there has to be a harsh rebuke. So, I’ll leave that all in the Lord’s gracious hands to sort out in each one’s life. For that reason, even those people have remained in my prayers, that the Lord will help them to EFFECTIVELY communicate His message, and not just to look obnoxious and ridiculous, giving others the desire and EXCUSE to just stop their ears, close their eyes and slink past them into the darkness… That’s what seemed to be happening in many ways.
Somehow, after singing all those songs, both praising Jesus and crying out to Him, my heart prays that we in the church can heed Paul’s words in Galatians 5:25, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (read that whole passage, it’s really poignant), or as it says in the old hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, “Tune my heart to sing thy grace.”
False Protection
I pray also for those who seemed so unassuming and kind, as they would rapidly walk over to each woman coming for her “health-care” and shelter her from having to see or hear anything or anyone that would dissuade her. The ones that have such calloused hearts that they can daily or weekly be doing this “service” to women in distress is remarkable to me. That there are those who would shield a woman from having to face what she is about to do (kill her child) and think they are doing “good” is amazing to me. That they would only offer her THIS “choice” is unfathomable.
Surely, some of the women that day might not have been going for an abortion (although I’m pretty sure the day we went is usually a death-services kind of day). Regardless, it wasn’t lost on me that some may have had ectopic pregnancies or even regular “female” needs that caused them to be there that day.
My heart went out to them as well. I’ve been there, having miscarried in my life, and that is something many of us women go through, and I imagine NONE of us would wish that on our worst enemy. I will likely discuss that in a later episode to share and/or revisit some of my personal story.
So of COURSE my prayers were/are with any that were unwillingly facing the death of their offspring, or suffering from their own female issues.
The vast majority of my brokenness of course, was on behalf of those who were actually going in for a procedure or method that would purposefully take away the chance of life of their little one. Periodically a young (or not so young) woman would head from their car toward the shelter of the people guiding them into the death chamber. I saw one woman come out, walking to her car, obviously not able to walk very well due to pain, and my heart offered a prayer on her behalf…. Another time, I saw what looked like a mother and teen-age daughter walking into the clinic. So incredibly sad that a mother would bring her own grandchild to be murdered (assuming that’s what was happening, of course, only they and God know what truly went on there that day).
I don’t want to be insensitive to the sorrows and challenges that these mothers (or women, if they weren’t going there for an abortion) were going through. At the same time, there’s a part of my spirit that wants to shout from the rooftops “DON’T DO IT” to every young woman that is considering this. That part of me understands those who shout out at the doorways of the clinics trying to stop this scourge… I just wish they were more effective.
Praying for the day that these murderous clinics will go OUT of business, because their “services” will no longer be desired, and their lucrative, flourishing business will wither and dry up. I pray for the day when the message will ring loud and clear that EVERY life is precious and valuable, because we are made in the image of the living God. I believe that one of the pivotal things that has caused our society to have such a LOW value of life, to have so much mental illness, so much murder, is because back in the ’70’s, we allowed that AWFUL Supreme Court decision to go forward and not be stopped–that RULING is what should have been ABORTED…. Murder of siblings has been going on under the radar (and sometimes right out in the open) for DECADES. Why would it not make sense for those growing up in this culture of death to think that their own lives have no value?
Back then, it was shoved through the Supreme Court, because evil forces knew it would NEVER make it’s way through our congress. But now, after 50 years of indoctrination and hardening of hearts, many states have tried to protect baby killing right up until full term. That was absolutely UNTHINKABLE until recent years.
Comfort and Hope for Those Who Struggle
I’m a woman who’s experience childbirth and also miscarriage. Yes, it is a HUGE commitment and task, literally calling us to lay down our lives in many ways for those we love. If you find yourself in the hard place of not knowing what to do with a pregnancy that hit you out of the blue, PLEASE know that you have other options! Really. There are people who will help you. Reach out to a believer in Jesus, your local church or get in touch with me if you want to be pointed to some resources that will know how to help you. if you want to be pointed to some resources that will know how to help you. Your child is PRECIOUS, and so are you. Don’t let people convince you to take what seems to be the “easy way out”, when you know that’s not true in your heart of hearts. No, the road won’t be easy EITHER way you choose. Better to choose the difficult road that will lead to Life in the end.
I was recently pondering the fact that Jesus COULD have aborted His mission here on earth if He wanted. In so doing, He would have aborted our ETERNAL life in the process. In response to His companions taking out their swords to protect Him when He was being arrested, He told them to put them away, and said “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” (Matthew 26:53-54)
Jesus knew EXACTLY what He was facing. He knew He was being called to literally lay down His life for YOU and me. And He did it anyway. He willingly submitted to the will of His Father. Even if you haven’t realized it or accepted it, He did that for YOU. All you need to do is say “yes” to Him.
As recent episodes of this blog have discussed, He is the Master Gardener. It’s no mistake that the Bible often uses this imagery. Recently, an interesting passage in Isaiah jumped off the pages to me in some ways (more about the whole passage in a later episode). But for now, there’s a whole lot of judgment in some passages in Isaiah, since God’s people had been SO prone to wander, leading to ultimate destruction. In the middle of one such group of verses, it says this (beginning to be quite prophetic about the coming Messiah),
“In that day–
‘Sing about a fruitful vineyard: I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it….'” (Isaiah 27:2-3)
That’s the kind of protective Gardener that Jesus is. Remember that episode about catching the “little foxes”? He is determined to present His Bride to Himself pure and holy. He is faithful in watching over His children. If YOU are one of His children, and you have fallen in some way, He is faithful to lift you up and restore your heart.
If you have been one who has wandered away, stubbornly stayed stuck in sin or discounted His gift entirely, so much so that you think He would NEVER give you the time of day, you’d likely be very WRONG in that assumption. Your sin doesn’t surprise Him. He paid for it, and offers you complete payment and justification. He will change your very heart if you submit yourself to Him.
Have you ever heard that “God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4) I pray that you will allow His kindness to soften your heart and cause you to turn around and see His arms waiting for you, wherever you are at in this life. Come to Him and allow Him to heal your brokenness. If you have regrets or bitterness, He knows the way to completely make you new…. Oh, how I pray that you will have the grace to lay your burdens at His feet and let Him carry you.
We will talk more about how He puts that new life within us in a future episode. For now, I pray that we can all take to heart the message of Moses in Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a when he said (when speaking of obeying the Law, but it follows here too, actually becoming POSSIBLE because of Jesus’ sacrifice and New Life that gives you the way to DO it):
“Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life….”
Also, Joshua as well, who set a choice before the people in Joshua 24:15:
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
As I stated earlier, there are indeed so many choices in life. Whether to speak the truth in love or remain silent? Whether to be “intimate” with someone other than one’s husband or wife, or to do things in the way that God designed? Whether to take the life of the little innocent baby human who resulted from that union, or to enter into the risk and joy of motherhood? Whether to post something as controversial as this or not? Yes, we are in a “choose ye this day” type of time.
Oh, my friend, I pray that you choose Life. Choose Jesus above all things, for truly, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). The Father waits for YOU with open arms. He was not willing to abort your chances at Life.
Move On Video
The song associated with this week’s content is called “Move On”, expressing some of Lisa’s own struggles and trusting the Lord to help following Him in the midst of it all. Here is a video of the song: