I turn 71 years old today (7-18-22), and I usually allow myself longer than a 1-minute devotion on my birthday. This year I want to take a few extra minutes to talk about an issue that God has laid on my heart. And I also want to express my gratitude that the Lord knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I was an unplanned, unexpected baby, born only 15 months after my older sister, and when my mother had me she almost died from complications during my delivery.
I was unplanned by my parents, but I was planned by God, who prepared things for me to do in advance (Ephesians 2:10).
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16
The passage above and the passage below give all of us a strong, compelling reason to speak up for unborn children.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” Proverbs 31:8-9
I'm unashamedly pro-life! But before I tell you a bit more of my personal story, let me share a few facts to counter the pro-abortion propaganda we've been hearing since the overturn of Roe v. Wade:
✔ If a pro-choice person is genuinely pro-choice, they should be happy about the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Overturning Roe did not make abortion illegal. It allowed the citizens to have a choice and vote about the abortion laws in their states. It gave each of us a right to choose instead of having the federal government deny our choice.
In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court overstepped their bounds and took on the job of the legislature by making law instead of interpreting it. This short video explains how to reply when someone says, "Abortion is a Constitutional Right."✔ Despite pro-abortion rhetoric, restricting abortion will not lead to increased back-alley deaths.
That's simply a scare tactic. This short video by a former abortion doctor explains how to reply when someone says, "Women Will Die from Back Alley Abortions."
✔ All abortion laws since the 1800's have allowed abortion if the mother's life was at risk.
This was true before Roe v. Wade and it will be true after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The strictest abortion laws have always made this exception.
But pro-abortion groups continue to claim that women in this situation would die if abortion was illegal. In fact, some pro-abortion groups are now spreading the lie that women with ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages will be denied treatment because Roe was overturned. This short video done by a neonatologist doctor sets the record straight: "Abortion Can be Medically Necessary."
✔ Pro-abortion groups use rare cases to justify unlimited abortion.
Rape accounts for approximately 1% of abortions and incest approximate .5%. But people use these two exceptions to claim that abortion should be legal for any and every reason. Please listen to this video featuring a woman whose mother was raped: Abortion in Cases of Rape.
✔ If a person believes abortion should be legal for rape and incest cases, they should still rejoice at the overturning of Roe.
Roe forced every state to make abortion available for women "at any time, for any reason, in any way they choose." Since 1973, 63 million babies have been killed through abortion, some of whom were torn limb from limb only days before they would have been born. If a person thinks it should be allowed only in cases of rape and incest, they should strongly oppose laws that allow it for any and every reason.
✔ Millions of women in our country are suffering from post abortion syndrome.
Pro-abortion groups ignore or deny the truth about PAS. Pro-life groups are actively involved in counseling women with this problem, helping them find forgiveness and healing. If pro-abortion groups were genuinely pro-woman, they would warn women about this problem and be involved in the cure.
To read more, see Satan's Tactic: Use Lies to Scare People.
Back to my story...
Many of you know that I have a book coming out next spring (see Update at bottom), and I can't help but think how God had plans for this unplanned baby girl to one day publish a book that honors Him. And He has plans for each of you as well (Jeremiah 29:11).
"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. " Ephesians 2:10
If you haven't read how God brought the circumstances together so I could share His truth in a book, please see A Bible Love Notes Book in 2023.
The book will be 100 1-minute devotions from the books of Psalms and Proverbs. And I’ll let you have a sneak peek of a paragraph from one of the devotions in the book. It's based on Psalm 139:13-16:
“Verses 13-16 praise God as our Creator, confirming the sanctity of unborn human life, telling us that God knits us together in our mother’s womb and keeps His eye on us before we ever see the light of day. We are His creation. He has known us from the moment we were conceived. He knows every detail of our childhood and every fear of our adult years. He loves us, and He’s always with us.”
As a young woman, my mother made Jesus her Lord, and even when she thought she’d die after my birth, she knew that her Lord would never leave her nor forsake her (Hebrews 13:5). And that’s what she taught me.
She taught me about Jesus and lived what she taught. And God allowed me to be at her bedside 41 years after my unplanned birth so I could pray for her as she went to be with her Lord and mine.
Please pray that the overturning of Roe v. Wade will allow more unplanned babies to have the gift of life. And pray that more women will see God's hand in their unplanned pregnancy as my momma did.
Do you have a "God-story" about an unplanned pregnancy? Why not share it with someone today!
I started Bible Love Notes in July 2011, and I haven't written a birthday devotion every year, but you might enjoy some of the older ones:
2013, updated: A One-Minute Testimony of My Life
2017: God Placed You in My Life
2018: 7 Characteristics of Modern Christians
2019: Eight Years of Good to Bad
2020: Tomorrow is my 69th Birthday
Bible Love Notes
Happy Birthday, Gail. Thanks for all the good work you have done over the years.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Martin. And thank you for all of your work for the Lord as well.
DeleteThank you for sharing your story. As another unplanned but also unwanted child (at least by my mother), I am blessed to have life, as abortion was not yet legal when my parents discovered they would have their third child in 1970. (I can't understand why a mother would share that information with their child, but it also explains so much about my childhood and relationship with my mother.)
ReplyDeleteYour devotions are impactful and I am blessed by your sharing of God's word. Happy Birthday!
I'm sorry that your mother would share that you were unwanted, but I'm glad you were given life. You were/are wanted by God, and I know that He has plans for your life. I'm blessed to know that my devotions have encouraged your faith.
DeleteHappy Birthday Gail!
ReplyDeleteYour devotions are the first part of my day. Thank you for sharing so much wisdom and Truth. You are an inspiration to me.
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Inez. It blesses me!
DeleteHappy Birthday Gail !! .. may the Lord continue to bless you and guide you this coming year. Thank you for gently, lovingly but in truth writing about difficult topics. We continually need to be reminded of what God says from His Word and not what the world says!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your encouragement, Sheila!
DeleteHappy Birthday, Gail! Thank you for sharing your mom's and your story. Your mom honored God and in turn God honored your mom with a daughter whom He has used so well. We need strong biblically sound teachers such as yourself in these days of almost anything goes even in many "churches". You are a true blessing to so many. Continue the good work. You remain in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your encouragement. It's my heart's desire to honor the Lord as my sweet mother did throughout her life.
DeleteGail, I always love your posts. This one was especially meaningful. My daughter suffered with hyperemesis gravidarum with her first pregnancy. I had never heard of it and was thankful her doctor was familiar with the condition. She lost 30lbs in her first month and spent most of her pregnancy in and out of the hospital. My extremely athletic, healthy child became an invalid. When she was far enough along she could take steroids and they helped, but it was very scary. I found an online group of women from places all over the world that were so encouraging. I had to stay positive because she and her husband were so worried. She had a beautiful baby girl who is 14 now. I received a frantic call from her 13 months after her daughter's birth. She was pregnant again, totally unplanned. Her doctor offered abortion as a solution, and when she refused he became her greatest advocate. He conferred with a specialist and she had a port installed and was fed through it. A nurse came and taught me how to hook up the "food" and clean the port. I also had to monitor her urine output.My daughter, her husband and child moved in with us so we could monitor her and he could still work. She is a teacher and her boss and fellow teachers covered her and her position remained hers (she still teaches at the same school) during her pregnancy. God was so evident and we thanked him daily. Planned and unplanned pregnancies can such a blessing if we trust in God's promises. My handsome grandson was born healthy and loved.
ReplyDeleteDear Martha,
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this wonderful "God-story." Both my husband and I shed some tears when we read it....tears of love for our Lord who blesses His children in the difficulties as well as the good times. I pray that many will read your comment and share in your joy, and I pray God will continue to bless your daughter who suffered for the good of her children.
Happy Birthday Gail! Thank you so much for every truth writing based on the word of God, I read it every day and it's blessing to me. Greetings for me and my family from Indonesia, Jesus Christ bless you in abundance.
ReplyDeleteThat blesses me to hear. Thank you for the encouragement.
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