A Story For Everyone

In his despair, Job recognized the sovereignty and the nature of God.   When considering the plight of those who were his servants, he reflected in chapter 31:
13"If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant When they complained against me,14What then shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?15Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

The Bible tells us that each of us have been fearfully and wonderfully made.  And, from the point of conception, when life begins, God is writing a story for each man, woman, boy, and girl.  Unfortunately, there are those who would want to terminate that life and that story, and some 56 million have lost their lives before they had the opportunity to leave the womb - what great potential that has been eradicated, what a sad story!   But, I am thankful for the families that have made that decision to give life - those that have accepted truth and recognized that there is life within that mother.   And, I am thankful for those who share the story of God's love and how He has created each life in His image.   It's a time to reflect not only on the sadness brought about by a Supreme Court decision 41 years ago, but also to reflect on the incredible provision that God has brought about for lives to be saved, for babies to be born, and for the plan of God to unfold for them and their families.

Here's a great Scripture for us today as reflect on the preciousness of every single life, and the story that God desires to write for and through every child brought into this world.   Here are the words of Psalm 139:
13For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.14I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.15My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.16Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

On this day commemorating the 41st anniversary of the fateful decision by the U.S. Supreme Court resulting in the legalization of abortion in America, I want to share a story about the effects of one family's decision to choose life.  

Each year, WORLD Magazine publishes an annual issue focusing on pro-life progress and regress over the previous year.   The cover of this year's magazine features a picture of a child who was saved through the work of a pregnancy resource center.   Photos are being solicited by the publication for pictures of babies whose lives were saved.

This edition, which also features the piece that Daniel James Devine was talking about recently on this program about a woman who is in the process of starting a center in Gary, Indiana, a city that has not had such a pro-life ministry.

There's also the story of young Christian Buchanan.   He's the 2-year-old son of Lacey and Chris Buchanan from Woodbury, Tennessee.  During Lacey’s pregnancy, ultrasounds revealed their pre-born son had a severe cleft lip and palate. Doctors gave Lacey an 85 percent chance of miscarrying and predicted other problems. But no one knew until the day of his birth in February 2011 that he was blinded by cleft eyes which had never formed in utero. It’s a rare condition that doctors told the Buchanans has affected only 50 babies worldwide in documented medical history. The cleft also left part of his skull exposed.

One nurse expected the Buchanans to utilize a state law that allows parents to leave their baby, up to 3 days old, with a hospital employee—no questions asked. When Lacey posted a picture of Christian on her Facebook account, an acquaintance told her she was a horrible person for not aborting, calling him a “drain on society.”

Lacey and Chris never considered abortion or abandonment as options. At 4 days old, Christian had surgery to close up the skin around his skull and insert a gastrostomy tube that would allow him to eat. He spent his first month in the hospital, often inconsolable with pain.

Venturing out in public proved challenging. People within earshot at the grocery store, pharmacy, or bank pointed and whispered about Christian’s face. “You could see this look of disgust,” Chris said. They began covering Christian’s stroller, but some begged for a peek. When Lacey relented, the response was always a gasp, followed by, “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

For Chris, these excursions became “heart-wrenching.” After a few months, Lacey realized how discouraged she had become: “I was complaining. I was mad at God. All of the sudden it hit me that I should be thankful that Christian is even alive.” Circumstances began to change too: Christian grew past the difficult newborn stage. He started playing and laughing. When Lacey ran errands, his giggles won over town critics: “He has a charm about him that draws people.” 

One day, Lacey recognized the story that she had to tell - she recorded a 7-minute video with her phone, featuring Christian in a blanket, telling a little bit of her and Chris' life story through pictures and hand-written note cards.   Near the end, the papers read: “The judgmental glances and whispers don’t really bother me anymore. Because I know he is beautiful. Inside and out. I also know I did the right thing by not aborting Christian. He is the love of my life!”

The video has gone viral, with over 11 million views.  And, doors have open for Lacey to speak. At last year’s Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco, Lacey addressed more than 50,000 people. They have over 175,000 followers on Facebook. After seeing Lacey’s video and Facebook page, one woman emailed her that she had changed her mind about aborting her pregnancy. Instead, she gave birth to a boy and named him after Christian.

Christian’s impact also led Lacey and a friend to start a nonprofit, “Heart of Tennessee Pro-life,” in an effort to reach Middle Tennessee women. They have organized the first “Walk for Life” in Murfreesboro, TN., to coincide with the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Christian will lead the charge: “He’s become a local hero,” Lacey said.
 

Christian has advanced far beyond what the doctors had expected.   Life has been challenging for Chris and Lacey, no doubt - with surgeries, sparring with insurance companies, and, I would imagine, questions about the future.   But there's a purpose in it all.  

Chris is quoted as saying, “After everything we’ve been through, we have a lot more compassion for families who deal with disabilities. It’s something you can’t fully understand until you’ve been through it,” Chris said. Lacey is currently taking night classes to earn her law degree, a lifelong dream with new meaning: She hopes to provide counsel and support for parents of children with disabilities.

Lacey says, “God has a plan for Christian...His defects do not diminish the value of his life.”

A great story with some great encouragement for each of us.   It reinforces for us the sanctity of life.  The Buchanans chose life and they are continuing to rejoice in that decision.   And, they are demonstrating the importance of telling their story.   Lacey no longer is apprehensive about taking Christian out in public, and even though there are some that would look down upon him as defective, she is bold and unashamed and has the right perspective.   She recognizes that God has a plan, and they have been given the precious gift of a child who brings joy to hearts.

The Buchanans do not regard Christian as somehow an inferior child - he is a precious creation of God, made in the image of God, in the way God intended.

I am thankful that God did not reject me, and has not rejected you because of defects.  None of us are perfect.  You know, the thought occurs that all of us could be regarded as defective - we were born in a state of need for a Savior, into a world of sin, with hearts that had not been regenerated by Christ.   But, God did not look down on us or reject us - He is our Creator, and loved us unconditionally, looking beyond our imperfections to bring us into His perfect love!