Recently, God called me to share a message for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday at Hope Community Church in Shawano, WI. (You can listen to the full message below.) Today I will focus on a personal story that I shared during the message, which will give you an even deeper sense of God’s heart for life and how He views each of us as an “indispensable” part of His kingdom (see 1 Corinthians 12:22):
It was during my wife’s 2nd pregnancy that she received a call from her doctor following the 20 week ultrasound-- a call that no mother wants to receive. Kelly was informed that our baby, Joshua, had a 1 cm cyst at the base of his brain. While 1 cm may not sound like much, it is actually quite large for a baby only 20 weeks in utero.
After receiving the initial call from the OB/GYN, we were shocked, scared, and confused, but also hopeful that God would take care of us and our child. So many of our family and friends were praying for us at this time and we believe with all of our hearts that God moved in direct response to these prayers.
Just two days after the initial ultrasound and call from the OB/GYN, we met with a specialist for a more detailed ultrasound. During this appointment, we experienced what seemed like an eternity of silence. It was finally broken by the ultrasound tech, and eventually the doctor, who informed us that they could not find a cyst.
After we gathered our thoughts, we asked the doctor to show us how large of an area 1 cm would look like on the screen. Right there on the ultrasound image the doctor drew what amounted to 1 cm, which as I shared earlier, was actually quite large. It would have been an awfully big mistake to make if indeed the first ultrasound was incorrect. There are only two possibilities that one can draw from this experience: either that the first ultrasound was a mistake OR that God healed our son. My wife and I truly believe God chose to heal Joshua and for that, we are eternally grateful!
In reflecting on this situation with Joshua, I recall another part of the story that needs to be told. While it is true we had people praying for us, I cannot forget a conversation I had with a friend in our neighborhood. After we learned about Joshua’s cyst and before learning that the cyst was no longer there, this friend asked me what we were going to do about the situation. I was somewhat caught off guard by this question. It took me a moment to realize what she was really asking. Given previous conversations I had with her about the life issue, it become clear to me that what she was really asking was, “Are you going to have an abortion?” For my wife and me, this was never even a question, let alone a choice on the table. We were committed to the life of Joshua, regardless of whether or not he had a cyst (and regardless of the type of cyst it may have been). I assured my friend that we were blessed to be expecting another child and that while the circumstances were challenging, we were in no way dampened in our enthusiasm for the life that Kelly was carrying inside of her.
That life is now 4 years old and his name is Joshua Alan. In fact, God has blessed Kelly and I with three sons. Joshua is the boy I’m holding with my left arm, Caleb [6] is in the middle, and our youngest son, Nathanael [2], is on the far left.
You see, in speaking to my neighbor that day, God reminded me of something. Too often, our culture can drift to a mindset that discards the value of life because it doesn’t match our hopes, our expectations, or our timing…. It’s clear from God’s word that He values all life and does not make a distinction between lives that are more or less worthy of protection. And neither should we.
Please click here to listen to Michael’s entire message on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.
