There really aren't "unwanted" pregnancies

There are unplanned pregnancies that happen all the time, but I am convinced there are practically no unwanted ones.

This morning my wife stood and prayed in front of a local abortion clinic with a woman from our church who has done so every Thursday for years. Having done so myself a while back, I warned my wife about how gut-wrenching it is. Watching "loved ones" drive their young daughters, sisters and girlfriends to commit an act that will damage them for life is overwhelming. My wife just called me to tell me I was right. In her time of prayer she saw a mother driving an ashamed young girl, probably no older than 13, through the entrance and in to the abortuary parking lot. As the girl covered her face passing Shari and a few that were peacefully praying at the entrance, my wife felt sick knowing that we would take that baby if she would just let it live. She didn't have to kill it. I'm sure no one is telling her the truth about how many people want her pregnancy.

The truth is, as I have come to discover during these past 18 months of trying to adopt, there is really no such thing as an unwanted pregnancy in the U.S. Last year there were over 1 million abortions. I know for a fact there are more than 1 million couples who want badly to adopt a baby or several babies. Don't tell me there is really such a thing as an "unwanted" pregnancy.

I understand there are unplanned pregnancies. I doubt highly the young girl Shari witnessed going to her abortion appointment wanted to be pregnant at such a young age. Such things happen to all sorts of people, it's long been a part of our fallen human existence. But "unplanned" doesn't mean "unwanted". There are so many people who want babies. It's so selfish to term any pregnancy "unwanted". Further, in the providence of God, no person is a mistake, no matter how they were conceived.

When a person becomes pregnant outside of God's ideal for child-bearing, it's a painful thing that creates all sorts of long-lasting effects in a person's life. The choice a person, couple, parent, partner, spouse, or loved one makes after a woman becomes pregnant is so vitally important and impacting. The options?

Deliver and keep the baby

Deliver and put the baby up for adoption

Abort (kill) the baby

These are painful options to mull in a hugely stressful and often shockingly traumatic time (decisions to abort are often made within days or weeks of realizing pregnancy). All sorts of people will be giving their input regarding the pregnant woman or girl's difficult decision. All of the options will involve major adjustments to the rest of her life and those associated with her.

I have talked to many women and families who have decided differently on these options. I have learned deciding to abort the child is far an away the most life-damaging choice (obviously for the baby it is life-ending)- it is an act that will never stop plaguing the one who commits it. What seems like a choice to undo the situation swiftly and with limited complexity actually becomes the most damaging long term option.

So many wanted babies needlessly killed. May God show us mercy and return us to our senses as nation. When I think of the complete madness of what we are doing in America, I think of the words Nebuchadnezzar uttered after a long period of insanity-

Daniel 4:34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

Lord God, please give us sanctified reason...give us minds-we seemed to have lost them.