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"Children are a gift from God, a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is His reward..." |
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Love Came Down at Christmastime December 25, 2007 1 John 4:9 “This is how God showed His love
among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live
through Him.”
“The
miracle of Life, before you were conceived I wanted you, before you were
born I loved you, and before you were here an hour, I would sacrifice
everything for you.” Psalm 77:14 “You are the God who performs
miracles; You display your power among the peoples.”
Christmas came early this year. It came without bells, wrapping
paper, or festive gatherings. It came silently, and humbly, a tiny
kernel of Life. How can something so small touch so many hearts and a
dry eye cannot be found? The birthmother placed her in our arms after
the long, rough journey here. She was a miracle, one of those little
miracles we keep begging mercy for on the desolate sidewalk outside the
abortion mill in God’s handprints were all over her and upon close inspection of her very tiny frame, sprinkles of angel’s dust reaffirmed the freshness date from Heaven above. She was precious. I whispered in her ear, “I love you and I pledge my complete devotion to you. You are a blessing from God. I will do my best to lay my life down for you from this day forth.”
My first encounter with this precious gift was outside the
abortion mill in the City of I motioned for her to roll her window down and asked her if I could help them so they wouldn’t have to go in that wretched place. The girl had been crying. Her mother said, “We are looking for parents.” “Excuse me?” I was baffled. The pregnant girl spoke up and said, “I want to place this baby up for adoption.” I held onto the door and said, “I would love to help you with that.” She said, “Would you adopt my baby?” “Absolutely,” I answered her. For the next few minutes we exchanged contact info and I told them I would be in contact after going through our files of couples wanting to adopt. Approx. 72 hours later, we received a distress call. The birthmother was being rushed by ambulance to the hospital with premature labor pains. We prayed that God would intervene and stop the contractions. As we arrived at the hospital, this baby had other plans. She made her debut a little before midnight, four weeks premature. A tiny little girl 5lbs, 1oz. She had an IV in her little arm and wires hooked up to monitors. The grandmother said, “I caught a glimpse of her from the window. She’s beautiful!” What an encouraging way to begin the new week: the birth of a new baby! I thank God her mother chose life and not abortion. She had a rough beginning, but we promised this mother, “Whatever it takes we will help you.” We spent most of the day at the hospital. Little Hannah aced every test. We held her gingerly and inspected her tiny features. She was perfect. We are so blessed, thank you God! I overheard the nurse scold the birthmother as she helped her to the restroom, “She tested positive. You know what that means.” We found out more later. The mother was an addict and had been using drugs most of the pregnancy. More than likely, it precipitated the labor. This baby was truly a miracle to have such a rough entry into the world. It was hard to purge ourselves from the daily abortion mill regiment, but this blessing was priority. Our time at the hospital was bittersweet. This mother knew the fate of her little girl she bore. “What shall we name this baby?” she asked. We offered a few suggestions. She then explained why she wanted to give her a certain name. She said, “She was destined to have a better life than I did.” We agreed that God has been gracious. She began revealing bits and pieces of her past in a small hospital room to me. It was so heart-wrenching. I listened and held her as she cried. I was so broken to hear the abuse this young mother had endured since the age of 14. It sounded far too familiar: the epidemic of child sexual abuse and the failings of the foster care system we see so frequently in our society. You can understand why so many spectators think abortion is a good thing, a remedy to society’s ills. But still, it doesn’t make it right. Another day at the hospital. We spent the morning in court. That afternoon, the baby went through more tests with flying colors. A final checkup and instructions, and we were ready to bring our baby home. Our family was anxiously waiting to meet the newest member. Our territory has expanded to twelve, an even dozen of children. “Aaahhh Parenthood!” Remember the sleepless nights, the diaper changes? It’s amazing how much punishment the human body can sustain. Has anyone ever died from sleep depravation? Somehow, gazing into her beautiful face as we nourish this beautiful little girl, it is all worth it. After getting the other children off to school, we prepared her for her first bath at home. As we undressed her and held her small frame, we delicately washed and dried her arms and legs. She loved the warm water as it flowed across her chest, but the minute I took my hand off her she began flailing and the look of fear filled her eyes for a moment till I reassured her with my hand she was okay. I looked in her face and thought about the terror that these abortion-bound babies must see as they gaze into the abortionist’s eyes. It sent chills up my spine. Oh my God! To see and realize the terror these little defenseless ones face daily. How can an abortionist live with himself? I looked at our older daughter who was enjoying helping me with the baby’s bath, “They kill babies this size everyday.” Looking over this little charge put everything into perspective once again and reinforced why we are like the soldiers in Iraq fighting for the innocent; literally, laying our lives down for our little brothers and sisters that are being tortured and killed barbarically. Suddenly, this fresh new life gave confirmation. “Does standing outside abortion mills save lives?” Absolutely! We have been so humbled and gained so much appreciation and insight through the adoption process. For far too long I can admit of my hypocrisy, my unknowing shame. How can we stand outside the local abortion mill telling women not to kill and not be willing to foster children already in the system that need parents? And guess what? There are babies in the foster care system for those who stand outside the mill screaming, “I’ll adopt.” Let’s put our walk with our talk. The Lord tells us to, “Rescue those being led to their slaughter,” in Proverbs 24. He also tells us to take in the widow and the orphans, James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress”. This little 6lb baby has touched so many hearts. It is overwhelming when you share her story. She has so many aunts at the courthouse. When we bring her by for visits, it’s amazing to see grown women from behind the counter go gaa-gaa as they undress this little baby checking out her tiny features and watching her cooing. We look forward to all the “firsts”. Her first smile, her first laugh, first steps. This whole testimony is simply amazing …. The night before the state was going to seize her God told me what to do and He really did orchestrate everything. He gave us favor once again in the courts with this little baby. Yes, Christmas came early. It came in our hearts. This little princess has brought this ministry to its knees. We all know who rules the Michael kingdom for now! God is so good. He has been at our side throughout it all. Just the other night Daniel told me, “Angela, when one door shuts, God will open another.” At this holy time of year and looking forward to a time of renewal, we thank God for His provisions and for a young mother who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave the gift of Life. We cradled our little girl her first night home and held one another, thanking God for all our blessings. I prayed before, but not like this. These little lives are depending on us. I am so thankful in ways I didn’t know were even possible. Psalm 8:2 “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise…”
Be encouraged~ Angela |
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