The Gift of Life

    With all the news of Planned Parenthood, I think its set a lot of Christians to thinking. Some are saddened. Some are angry. And some are okay with it all. Honestly, I don't think abortion became a strong reality for me until I heard that the aborted babies were being sold off, just as if they were merchandise coming off the shelf. Once I could wrap my head around this concept, I began to cry. Any of my family or friends can tell you that I am not a cry-er. But to hear what was being done to these completely innocent lives, broke. my. heart. But it also set me thinking.
      Today I want to share with you a bit of my story. I've never openly shared my testimony before, so this should be interesting. :) But here goes.
      I was born nine weeks before my due date. I weighed 3.3. I was a very sickly baby. The doctors struggled for months just to keep me alive. I was saved at an early age when I was 5, but didn't fully understand the nature of my commitment to the Lord until much later.
    I didn't realize what a sick baby I was until I was about eleven or twelve. It was then we were watching a home video taken soon after I was born. I was in the hospital, in my fathers arms. He talked sweetly to his new baby girl, as the heart monitor beeped steadily in the back round. It all seemed so calm and sweet. And then the alarm went off. My heart was slowing down. My dad stood up, I could hear the nurses calling to each other, trying to hear one another over the alarm, and then the camera stopped rolling. As I sat on the couch in our living room, I felt my own heart pounding. The camera came back on. I was in my dads arms again, completely fine. I breathed a sigh of relief. (as if I didn't know I was going to make it. ;) ) But I realized, I. Could. Have. Died. Right then in there, a tiny baby, struggling to stay alive; God could have chosen to take me home right then and there. But He didn't. For some reason He had left me live. It was then that I decided I wasn't going to live a self-served life- He let me live for a reason, I was going to use the life He had given me to live solely for Him.
     This week when I came to understand the full nature of what was going on at Planned Parenthood, I was convicted once again. My mom held me and let me cry. When my tears subsided I told her, "Thank you for choosing to let me live." Mom almost died when she gave birth to me. She had had complications in all of pregnancies, but mine and my younger brother's were the worst. Mom pulled me tighter and said, "Of course. Precious gifts. You all are precious gifts from God." Not only had God let me live, my parents, by God's grace, went through with their pregnancy with me, knowing all of the risks that they were taking, because they valued my life.
      But I think most importantly, the Lord gave me NEW life. NEW life in Him. I was saved at a early age, something I have always been thankful for. He called me to be His child and saved me from sin and living a life centered solely around myself.
     As we come to the "end" of the story, the question begs an answer- why? Why did God let me live? Didn't He have enough people on the planet that someone else could have taken my job? Of course He did. God could have given what He wanted me to do to anyone He wanted. But He didn't. He let me live. I'm eighteen now and looking back on my life, there are several times that He could have chosen to take me home, most recently being almost hit by a car. But He didn't. He's given me these eighteen years for a reason. And He's giving me how many ever years more for a reason. What's the reason? The reason is to glorify and honor Him.
     You've been given a life. If you have been saved by the Reedeemer, you've been given new life in Christ. If you have, don't ever feel like your not good enough. Because your not, but Christ is. And if He's living inside of you, then you can do what He's called you to do, no matter how hard. (Philipians 4:13) He's let you live for a reason. You have a purpose. Glorify and and honor God in your life. LIVE for HIM.

1 Corinthians 10:31
   "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God."