22 Jan, 2008

How do you think God views abortion?

Look at Samuel's story...

This week is the anniversary of "Roe vs Wade". Look at the example of some parents who chose not to abort their child with a disability.

SAMUEL ALEXANDER ARMAS'S STORY

Take a good look at this picture. It's one of the most remarkable photographs ever taken. The tiny hand of a preborn reaches out from a mother's womb to clasp a surgeon's healing finger. It is, by the way, 21 weeks old, an age at which it could still be legally aborted. It is a medical development in the control of the effects of spina bifida ...

Your first instinct is to recoil in horror. It looks like a close-up of some terrible accident. And then you notice, in the center of the photograph, the tiny hand clutching a surgeon's finger.

It shows Samuel, a 21-week-old preborn, in its mother's womb, about to undergo a spine operation designed to save it from serious brain damage.

At that age the mother could have chosen to have the baby aborted. Her decision not to, however, led to an astonishing test not just of medical technology, but of faith.

Although Samuel Armas is believed to have been the youngest patient for such an operation, it was apparently routine enough for Dr Bruner and paediatric neurosurgeon Noel Tullpant to talk about the weather during the operation.

An hour later, the womb was gently eased back into place.

photo & story courtesy tennessean.com, 09/07/99

Psalm 139:13-16

13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them. (ESV)

What does today's God's Story scripture tell us about God's view on the value of a preborn baby?

ASK SAMUEL.....A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS! THIS IS SAMUEL FOUR YEARS AFTER HIS PARENTS CHOSE LIFE FOR HIM:

THANK YOU GOD FOR CREATING SAMUEL IN SUCH A WONDERFULLY COMPLEX WAY! YOUR WORKMANSHIP IS MARVELOUS - AND HOW WELL WE KNOW IT!

photo courtesy freerepublic.com

How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?

  • Thank God for the gift of life! Praise Him for your life! Thank Him for making you so wonderfully complex! Ask Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you - a work of art! One of a kind! Priceless! Pray that His Truth that every life is sacred and has eternal value will be recognized by our culture. Pray against abortion in our culture. Ask God to show you how to make a difference in a way that would honor Jesus.
  • Commit yourself to praying for the unborn in our culture at least once a week.
  • Write a thank you note to God for the marvelous way He created you. Place it where you will see it regularly as a reminder to thank God for the life He has given you!

How can you connect today's story, God's story scripture and your story to others?

  • Use today's story and picture about Samuel to talk to friends about the value of every life. Ask your friends what they think? Be careful to not get "political" or "preachy", but simply share today's scripture and ask your friend what he or she thinks about it? It may give you the opportunity to talk more about your story and the way God sees you and your friend.
  • Look for ways to volunteer at a pro-life ministry. Choose one that shows love, grace and forgiveness. Those who are struggling with a decision about abortion need the love of Jesus, not condemnation from angry people who call themselves Christians.
  • Write a letter to your leaders in government, encouraging them to protect the lives of the unborn. Make sure you write with the love and grace of Christ.
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God's Story is brought to you by Youth for Christ. YFC works with young people on campus and in the community in over one hundred countries around the world so that they might have an opportunity to become a follower of Christ and be a part of a local church.

Our writer, Byron Emmert, has been with YFC for over 30 years and has served as Campus Life Staff, in leadership for DCLA, and as an author and speaker. Byron is available for speaking at youth or adult events and conferences. For booking, write to byron@3Story.org.

Byron and his wife Linda live in Minnesota and their family includes two married sons and daughters-in-law, a grandaughter, and a daughter in college. He loves sports, deep dish pizza, and spending time with his family.