"Missionary Mama in the Making": NOT just like getting a tooth pulled!

**WARNING**--this post may be upsetting or bring a tear to your eye, better yet, a gushing waterfall down your face. Brace yourself and proceed with caution. The truth often hurts.

Hard. Cold. Facts. of. Life. or rather, Death. How I wish that it were not so. It's way to common place, spoken of matter of factly, and easy to encounter. In fact, teenage girls here face this horrific topic on a daily basis. It assaults them as they walk the school halls and congregate in the girls' bathroom. There is no fear of God nor consequences. No shame of wrongdoing. All of it is simply taken in stride. An everyday problem to simply be dealt with. Just like getting a tooth pulled.

In a country that lacks morals because it was never built on a solid, Biblical foundation, what do I expect? I expect respect for human life and property, love for others, and a basic knowledge of good and evil, right and wrong. But what I expect and reality rarely cross paths. There is no control, no standard, no set of rules. Everyone does "that which is right in their own eyes". Sounds so nice and innocent, doesn't it? But. it's. not. It's selfish. Selfish to the point of destruction. Selfishness leads to the crumbling of a person and beyond. In this case, the squelching of a life, when it has barely begun. Before he has even come to see the light of day and feel the warm sunshine upon his tiny face.

Recently before church one of our sweet teenage girls was chatting with our Pastor's wife and I. In the course of the conversation, we inquired where her mom was that evening. She briefly relayed to us that her mom had stayed home to talk to her (the mom's) 18 year old sister who was recently pregnant. She was still in school and planning to have an abortion the following Monday. This was on Thurs. Her mom was going to try and convince her otherwise. I would like to tell you that this story has a happy ending. I would like to tell you that this girl realized the severity of what she was about to do, commit murder!, and that she repented. And she did! I later found out that she went for a check-up and had an ultrasound and heard that baby's heart beating. That was enough to change her mind; experiencing firsthand the miracle of life inside of her. The thing that struck me most of all as we were having this discussion was the casual, almost easy, way that this girl told us what was going on. As she spoke I had all I could do to keep a calm demeanor and not let the horror show in my shocked face. As she walked away, I remained stunned and my Pastor's wife said exactly what I was thinking,

"They talk about abortion like it is

nothing more than getting a tooth pulled!"

And she is right. It does not phase them. There hearts are cold and calloused. But more than that, they have been taught by their humanistic society that this is nothing more than a fetus and we are all evolving from monkeys, what difference does it really make? Survival of the fittest. And that tiny, almost microscopic being forming inside of you is definitely not the fittest and not wanted. It's not even your problem really, so just dispose of it like a dirty diaper or an infected tooth. I shudder and gag just typing these words.

Most importantly, no matter how appalled I am or how obviously morally wrong it is, is what the Bible has to say about it.

Children are the most precious gift (outside of salvation) that I can even fathom. They are a miracle in the form of a tiny baby. When conceived within the holy bonds of matrimony, a baby is a beautiful demonstration to the whole world of the love that grows between a man and a woman, just as the bitty baby grows in his mother's womb.

And we know that James tells us:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,

and cometh down from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

--James 1:17

Notice, not only does this verse speak of gifts from the Lord, but also points out God's unchangeableness.

Variableness means a : able or apt to vary : subject to variation or changes

This verse reassures us that the gifts in our lives, including children, are most definitely from Him and that He has not, is not, and will never change his mind about them. I love the phrasing "shadow of turning". There is not even a glimpse or glimmer of change in God. If he blesses and forms a child, it is a gift from Him and no accident. The mama may not understand it, but God allowed that child to be conceived and it is created with the purpose of bringing glory to His name.

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord:

and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;

so are children of the youth".

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:"

--Psalm 127:3-5a

♥ My Most Precious Gifts♥

Just look at that beautiful face! Ethan Matthew--22 weeks

"Jesus LOVES the little children, ALL the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are PRECIOUS in His sight, JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD!"

We have all heard these words before, but do we truly believe them?!! Such an innocent children's song and such innocent children. He truly does love them ALL!!