How The Planned Parenthood Videos Have Brought Life To My Son

Marshall's memory box

Anyone who's seen anything in the news lately, knows the horrible story of Planned Parenthood, not only aborting human fetuses in their clinics, but selling off their body parts to the highest bidder.

Apparently, this barbaric practice is done at any stage in fetal development to which they can gain access, however, many of the still photos I've seen splashed across the web involve as late as second trimester babies. This situation has me reliving the death of my son over and over through my social media news feeds.
David and I experienced our second pregnancy when I was 40. When I was five weeks pregnant, we underwent the standard 20-week ultrasound for 'high risk' pregnancies only to find that our son, Marshall, had died of complications due to a pinched umbilical cord as much as a week prior.

Though the news was devastating, as I've written previously, I met Jesus during that experience. I may have lost a son, but I gained a relationship with my Father I'd not previously had, and consequently, though I've always missed Marshall, I've always been ultimately grateful for the experience.

Very recently, in the wake of the Planned Parenthood horrors, I read an article about a woman and her husband who lost their son at 19 weeks. The couple took pictures of their baby, Walter, and posted them on their Facebook page where they soon went viral. Because so few pictures of babies born this early are ever shared, baby Walter posthumously provided women who had lost babies in similar stages needed closure - an opportunity to grieve their personal losses. 

He also struck a cord with women considering abortion who, when confronted with such a clear picture of the humanity of an in-utero baby, re-thought their decision to complete such an irrevocable and inhuman act.

After birthing Marshall, the nurses advised me against seeing him, as his head had become malformed by hydrocephalus following his death. Frightened by the picture I might have kept in my head of our precious son, I chose to see and hold his body wrapped in a blanket with only his hands and feet showing.  It was amazing to see his sweet, fully formed little feet and hands certainly, but I've regretted looking at him fully every single day since. It was actually a balm to my soul to see the pictures of baby Walter. He was so perfect! So fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and I was grateful to finally have a picture in my head so close to that of what my son looked like after his birth.

Baby Walter

Though I remember being pro-choice for a bit in my very early years, even during my agnostic 30's, I couldn't conscience abortion. I never accepted the whole 'blob of cells' argument because none of the things I knew about cell development as a biologist indicated that to be the case. Even baby chickens start looking like chickens at about 10 days! I knew human development was no different.

Since becoming a practicing Christian, however, I can't explain my disappointment at the number of Christians I meet who will NOT speak out against abortion. This floors me. What are Christians to do but speak out on behalf of those whom God himself created?

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man (Colossians 4:5-6). 

Think here; what is "salt" in this case? It is that which 'preserves'. Is salt something you want to eat by itself? No. Why? Because it's not satisfying to the palate. In fact, it's not pleasant at all in a concentrated dose. Yes, we all need to be as graceful as possible in our speech, but we must say what NEEDS TO BE SAID in order to 'preserve' those ideals given to us in the Bible whether or not it 'tastes' good. 

Difficult subjects like abortion may not be 'palatable' discussions, but we can speak with grace while making the position of the Bible clear. Paul isn't telling us to keep quiet or agree with those whom we can't Biblically do so -- he's telling us to SPEAK OUT TRUTHFULLY, just not disrespectfully or unpleasantly. 

So often people are afraid to speak out for offending others, yet we have no such charge as Christians. Our charge is to speak out in love, yes, but often, when a person is living in sin and feels remorse on any level, even gentle, graceful communication can bring about offense. 

Our job can't be offense prevention, it must truth telling, whether or not offense occurs. 

When addressing someone who believes in 'choice', for example, you neither turn and walk away, nor do you verbally assault or denigrate them with your speech. You speak to them in love with all grace and humility, imparting gently the notion that the Commandment "Thou shall not kill" includes the smallest of us - those unable to be cared for outside the womb - those that must be protected from harm until capable of protecting themselves - like any infant. 

If the person to whom you are speaking takes offense, pray for that person to accept the truth and continue speaking in love, but do not abandon your position. Christians must take to heart Paul's command. 

No one can make anyone FEEL anything. 

Every individual person is responsible for their own reactions to stimulation - whatever that stimulation may be. We needn't take on the responsibility for the feelings of others so long as we have communicated in a Biblical manner. Be strong and of good courage (Joshua 1:9)! We have a commission to speak on behalf of the truth. 

If you'd like to get involved in the fight for the right to life of these, our tiniest citizens, check out these Oklahoma organizations (if you're in another state, just internet search the terms "anti-abortion efforts" and your state together to find):

Protect Life and Marriage OK Facebook
Protect Life and Marriage on the web
Oklahomans United for Life Facebook

In Kansas
Justice For All Facebook
Justice For All on the web