25 Jan Some Thoughts About Life
I was born on February 6th, designed, planned and purposed by God, and yet the product of an unplanned pregnancy.
My parents got married and went on to have 4 more children. Fifteen years later, the Supreme Court of the United States would rule in the case of Roe vs. Wade to legalize abortion.
So often I’ve wondered if abortion had been the law of the land in 1958, would my parents have taken advantage of that and ended my life? After all, that’s what abortion is: the deliberate termination, or ending of a pre-born human life. They could have chosen to go ahead and end my life illegally, but they didn’t. To say that it was not acceptable or cool to be pregnant “out of wedlock” at that time is an understatement; nobody was showing off their unplanned baby bumps back in that day. Despite the ridicule and great distain my Mother experienced with her physician and his nurse; despite the embarrassment, the shame, and guilt they felt, she and Daddy did the hard thing, but the right thing—the righteous thing. They understood the sanctity of life, according to God. I guess you could say that was the first near-death experience of my life.
My parents chose life for me; and I am eternally grateful that they did. I loved them both. They were the parents God chose for me; and because they gave me life, I grew up to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and will enjoy eternal life with him!
Speaking Up
I was a sophomore in high school when I took on the topic of “abortion” in my speech and debate class. That was in 1974—one year after the Roe vs. Wade case that made abortion legal. For reasons I did not clearly understand yet, I was unusually passionate about the issue and the rights of the unborn. Even at that young and immature age I inherently knew that something was not right about aborting—killing—an unborn and unwanted child in its mother’s womb. At 15 years old, with only a modicum of insight at the time, I decided to speak up about it. I got an A on my presentation; which should give you a good idea of the conservative nature of the educational system I grew up in.
One year later I made a public profession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
Something to Think About
Has the answer to our prayers been aborted?
Another thing I’ve wondered about is who all these hundreds of millions of aborted men and women would have been had they lived? What had God planned and purposed for their lives?
Perhaps God planted in their hearts and minds the answers to some of our prayers: the cures for cancer, ALS, MS, Parkinson’s, and other sicknesses and illnesses that have plagued our friends and loved ones? Perhaps they were to be doctors, teachers, scientists, evangelists, artists…using their talents and abilities to the glory of God, for God’s purposes…if only they had lived the life He planned for them.
It shouldn’t take a near death experience to get us to see our importance and invaluable worth in the eyes of the One who made us. He tells us in His Word that each and every single one of us has been made by God, in the image and likeness of God, for the purposes of God. The question is: Are we living like people whom God chose life for. Are we living the life God chose for us? Or have we aborted the dream God dreamed for us when He created us?
Made for This
Interestingly, I did not learn the true story of my conception and birth until I was 34 years old—19 years after I argued the topic of the atrocities of abortion in my sophomore year of high school. And the moment learned the truth a thousand questions were answered in my heart—too many to unpack with you here. But everything came together in that moment, and I remember it vividly. I was not angry at my parents. I was not hurt. I was not ashamed or discouraged in any way. The only way I can describe it to you is that I was, in that moment, awash in God’s grace, and overwhelmed by God’s purpose for me. For my existence, and His deliberately planned and purposed reason for me to be alive on the planet in this day and time.
That changed everything for me. I understood enough of the Scriptures then to know and believe that God made me for Himself. God saved me for His purposes. It was God who chose life for me. God made me for this, for now; and I get to do what He created me for.
Likewise, He made you!
The Sanctity of All Life— Physical and Spiritual
Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday addressed thousands of people at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. and it was a powerful and beautiful message. Unashamedly pro-life and pro-family, he said, “Let me say very simply: I want more babies in the United States of America!”
I couldn’t agree more! More babies equal more opportunities to raise up Jesus-loving children, who will become Jesus-loving adults, who will make disciples of Jesus Christ…who will make more disciples of Jesus Christ! And that, my friend, is how we change the planet for Christ—as my husband would say.
That is precisely what God has given each of us to do in our time on this planet. John and I are passionate to see men and women become great men and women who are following Jesus and making disciples for him—all over the place. God says it this way: Be fruitful and multiply (see Genesis 1), i.e. go make babies and fill the earth. Jesus repeated it this way: “…bear much fruit; fruit that will last” (see John 15), i.e. go raise some spiritual babies; and again, “Go…and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19-20), i.e. take some people under your wing and do with them what I did with you.
Those are not mere suggestions of what to do with your life; they are commands for how to live your best life for the purpose of God, and for the glory of God. And God will never command us to do anything that we can’t do. And if He commanded it, He’ll give us what we need to do it. He promises that.
Most of you know that I’ve never given birth to a child—nor have I adopted a child. I was blessed with two beautiful grown children from John’s first marriage; and then three beautiful, amazing granddaughters. It blows my mind!
I’ve also, by God’s grace, become the Spiritual Mama for a bunch of beautiful young women I’ve had the pleasure of discipling—doing life with—over the past 24 years.
Raising up women in their faith isn’t something I do because I’m in vocational ministry. I do it because God has called me to it. And He’s call you to it, too.
Two of my regular prayers have been: “Lord, what is not being done in Dallas, in my community, that you want to see happening, and that I can be involved in with You?” And, “Send me someone to disciple.”
Time and time again over the years He has done exactly that…and He keeps on doing that; and it’s been fruitful for Him…and has multiplied with men and women becoming disciples who make disciples.
One More Thing
There’s a woman out there looking for—praying for— someone like you to come alongside and help her grow up in her faith; someone she can ask her hard questions of about how to navigate life according to God’s Word. There’s a bunch of women out there… they don’t want just another bible study; they want to know what YOU know about the Jesus of the Bible and the difference he’s made in your life. So… do it. Pray and ask the Lord to send you somebody you can help to know Jesus, love Jesus, and follow Jesus—and to pay it forward, for him, for life. To this you have been called. 🩷
Until next week— don’t forget that you are greatly and dearly loved by The King! And let’s live our beautiful, ordinary lives like women who believe it!
I love you,
xo – P♥️