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| Henry and I enjoying a book together. |
This time
last year, Fern (my wife) and I sat at the kitchen table in our son-in-law and daughter’s home here in Kansas City. We heard those monumental and
life-altering words: "Mom and Dad, we are expecting."
What an
incredible sense of joy filled our hearts to know that a little one was on his
or her way into this world. With increasing anticipation we awaited each
check-up and progress report, and sympathized with each bout of perpetual morning
sickness which in our daughter’s case was not restricted
either to the first trimester or morning. Finally, on April 1 (yes, the opening
day of baseball season) little Henry Thomas made his grand entrance into the
world. Needless to say, our lives and schedules have not been the same since.
Here is what I have observed.
1. God's
ways are best.
His design is to create families with husbands and wives who in turn bring
children into the world. The parents' job collectively is to nurture each
child. Yes, children are a burden. They are helpless and vulnerable in every
way imaginable. They need parents to care for them around the clock. It is a
weighty responsibility. Intact nuclear families find it difficult to rear
children. My heart goes out to single parent homes where only one parent is
burdened to care for little ones. This is a place where the church must step in
and offer assistance.
2. All
human life has intrinsic worth and value. I have read lately the same tired argument about
"every child a wanted child" which is the code phrase for the
implication that if a child is not wanted it is perfectly acceptable to abort.
The philosophical underpinnings of this position is that a child is not a
person of worth until they are born, and some suggest that even that point is questionable.
Political posturing has over the years made this a matter of Pro-Life versus Pro-Choice as if the latter is legally and morally acceptable. Yes, this is
morality being legislated-- which is what all legislation is--and no, in God's
sight, it is never a moral and righteous choice. The abortion industry is
driven by money. It is a barbaric practice which is reflective of a decadent
and Godless mindset. It is a practice that should never have been legalized in
the first place. The judgment of God is on our nation and any nation that
approves this kind of barbarity.
When I look at my grandson, Henry, and imagine that the
laws of our land argue that it was perfectly permissible to terminate his life in
the womb, I am overwhelmed by grief. I suspect God feels the same way.
3. Each
child is a unique and special creation of God. King David got it right in
the Psalms when he wrote, "It is He (God) who has made us and not we
ourselves." Years ago I read a book entitled Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, about the miracle of conception,
gestation and birth. It emphasized the miraculous nature of each individual. No
two people who have ever lived are exactly alike. Remember the old Gaither
song, "I am a Promise?" The seeds of greatness reside in each child.
The seeds of promise and possibility are intrinsic in every single person. Like
the old cliche says, "only God knows how many oak trees are in a single
seed." And only God knows the true potential of each individual life!
Tell me, what have you truth has been brought back to your mind by spending time with your family?
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