Today, over 500,000 people are peacefully attending the March for Life in DC, not to mention the countless others doing the same at the state and local level all over our nation. And yet, our media will almost completely ignore them. How sad that freedom of speech only extends to those that speak the way you want them to.
Today, some will continue to use the term "pro-life" as a defense of only the unborn. Albeit they are the very most defenseless and need our voices, but so, too, do those moms and dads struggling to know what to do with an unplanned pregnancy, those struggling through the honorable choice they've made, and those struggling with regret. So, too, do the sick and dying that our society says we should go ahead and get rid of. So, too, do the impoverished, the ostracized, the mentally ill, the ones who are different from us, and even the ones who are imprisoned because they've hurt us. How sad that our culture of death extends not just to the unborn, but to the lack of love in action that comes from being a relativistic, selfish society.
Today, I wonder how many people throughout the course of my current (planned) pregnancy will make ignorant statements about the number of children I'm going to have, whether we got pregnant as one more attempt for a boy (as if my girls aren't EVERYTHING God and we want them to be), if we know how this happens, etc, etc, etc. How sad that we live in a society that says "don't judge" and yet won't hesitate to do just that to us in a way that is very anti-life.
Today, I hurt for the women and men who want to be pregnant and can't. I hurt for the women who suffer greatly through pregnancy. I hurt for the women and men who are exhausted because they have young children. I hurt for the women and men who have teen and adult children making unfortunate choices beyond their parents' control. I hurt for the parents who've grieved a child lost in pregnancy or beyond. How sad that each of these will question their own worth, and many won't have someone to reassure them of their own inherent dignity and walk with them through this time of trial, let alone live in a society that builds up the family in all its crazy ages and stages.
Today, I wonder how we can have so many systems and yet fail to connect those in need of love with those yearning to love. While opening ourselves to growing our family through pregnancy, we also earnestly explored the options of fostering and adoption. My heart broke for all the numerous older children in need of foster and adoption that just get pushed around instead, and that I hope once our current children are older we will still be able to help. How are we as a society not loving their parents in an intentional, proactive enough way to give them the strength to step up to the plate?! How are we so unaware of the foster parents doing the best they can for these kids and suffering through the hurt of watching them come and go from painful situations rather than adamantly supporting and honoring these adults for taking on such a courageous role? How sad that in any neighborhood in any corner of our nation, we easily overlook this group of kids and adults that we're setting up for failure.
Today, I grieve for never getting to meet the birth mom and baby that we had hoped to welcome into our life and got turned down because "we're not what birth moms are looking for." A.K.A. we already have too many other kids to be considered as an adoptive family. Never mind the incredible back yard and community we could offer them, the siblings who were prayerfully hoping for them, the excitement we had to permanently welcome not only the child but also the mom into our family. Through the avenue we prayerfully felt called to, the birth moms are specifically looking for open adoption, and we humbly wanted to walk that journey with one of them, knowing our own hearts would be the ones to have the most to be grateful for in the end. How sad that our society shames and denies those of us that aren't just "breeding like rabbits" (yeah, I decided to go there before someone else could) but rather desire so deeply to grow a big, beautiful family.
Today, I am saddened that in so many ways we disregard that which is most fundamental, namely the dignity of ALL human life. Yes it's messy, yes it's painful, yes it's hard. But if we infused some real, active love more fully back into this world instead of settling for this culture of non-interfering tolerance we've become, then all of us would have each other for community in those rough times, as well as for celebration in the joyful times.
So today, although I am saddened, I am also full of HOPE. HOPE that those marching for life will be seen not as judgmental, but as full of love. HOPE that we will become a culture of life that dignifies all human souls...every single one. HOPE that we will become a people that support each other so fully that every pregnancy, even those that are undesired, will have a safe haven and the opportunity for a life lived to the fullest, from natural womb to natural tomb. HOPE that we will be a people who lift up those among us that, while they were initially given the chance at life, have never been given reason to believe it's worth living. HOPE that we will give them that reason still, no matter their stage in life. HOPE that we can continually forgive one another, because inevitably even when we try, it's not gonna be perfect. HOPE that conviction will reign true within my own heart and soul, and in the depths of every soul, that we will be a culture that can't help but be a people of loving action. Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Peace be with you,
Anne
:) * +
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