Too Good Not To Share

I just read a news article from Baptist Press about Alaska's Governor welcoming her new Down Syndrome son into her family.

According to the article, Sarah Palin recently gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin. During the early stages of her pregnancy the governor found out that their unborn son had Downs but continued with the pregnancy despite the challenging news. Sarah and her husband Todd are pro-life and this event proves that life is more than just a political tool.

Ben Mitchell, director of The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity in Chicago said that this event is a "tangible reminder that Down Syndrome should not mean a death sentence for the unborn." AMEN! Too often parents will choose to terminate a pregnancy when it looks as though their child will not turn out as "perfect" as planned. Trig's birth is a reminder that we all are "fearfully and wonderfully made."

The day Trig was born his mother sent out an email as if it was written by God and signed "Trig's Creator, Your Heavenly Father." I don't know about you, but this news was so encouraging to me. You do realize what type of society you live in don't you? Our culture is so bent on having the "perfect" child at the "perfect" time that we don't allow our plans to be altered. If a child is going to require too much work or attention we have the option of aborting them. It doesn't matter if they have a strong heart, strong lungs, and other functioning parts - if there is going to be any type of defect then that child is not worth the time and effort.

If you don't believe that abortion has a profound affect on society then travel to Ukraine. This is a pro-abortion culture that is finally realizing that their birth rate is not keeping up with their death rate. People in Ukraine are dying faster than they can be added to the population. Some of this is due to the limited medical resources of the country, while the other part is due to the fact that if a child is not wanted he/she can be terminated. Now they are trying to give away TV's and refrigerators in hopes that people will have babies!

As many of you already know I am Pro-Life. This is not a political stance but a moral stance. I believe that God is the creator of all human life. The Bible teaches us that even before we are in our mother's womb - He knows us. There are no accidents in the mind of God. All life is precious, and all life is valuable. We have a couple who attends our church quite frequently who have 2 Downs children (one through birth and the other through adoption). They will be the first to say that their road has not been an easy one, but it has been a worthwile adventure. When I see these boys I see two children that are full of life. I know that it takes a lot of work for them to learn and develop but they are so worth it. And I say "Thank You" to any mother or father who says "YES" to life even when the whole world screams "NO".

Governor Palin believes that God has blessed them. She said that Trig is absolutely perfect and that he is also a perfect fit in their family. How refreshing! This is proof that your child can be a blessing even if they may not be the star football player, homecoming queen, or an academic all-american. When we choose to view every child that comes into this world as a precious gift from God our complaints will turn into praise and thanksgiving.

Thank you Governor Palin for choosing life. Thank you for introducing us to Trig. He is truly blessed to have you and your husband for parents and you are blessed to have him as a son. Our prayers are with you. And for those of you reading who have made the difficult decision to give the gift of life to a child whom others would say is not "perfect" I say thanks to you as well. You are a picture of the grace of God who gives life to us even though we are not perfect.

If we err - let us err on the side of life!