"The following is the story of my friend Lisa and her children. It has nothing to do with food, and you may want to not continue reading, but I hope you do. Myself and a few of our friends are sharing her story in the hopes that it will touch you, and you will share it with your friends. The opinions stated here are my own, how I really feel, and why I am sharing this today. It may be offensive to some. I am not looking to start a debate, nor will I take part in one. "
Lisa and her husband tried unsuccessfully for several years to have a baby. During this time she had several miscarriages, and eventually they made the decision to try in vitro fertilization. She became pregnant with triplets, and one of the embryos split, giving them identical twin boys and fraternal twin girls! Then the unthinkable happened, and Lisa and her husband were forced to make a choice no parent should ever have to make. One of the twin boys developed a condition in which he could not excrete fluids, and he began to swell. Doctors told Lisa and her husband that the unborn baby was in horrible, immeasurable pain. They watched and waited, sure the baby would die.He did not, and soon grew so big that he was threatening the entire pregnancy. The doctors recommended that they reduce the identical twins. There was no way to save the other baby, because they shared a blood supply.
They waited, against advice, hoping for a miracle, seeking out opinion after opinion, and researching. If they did nothing they would likely lose all four babies, or they could choose to kill two of their unborn children. I can't imagine ever having to make that choice. What would you do in their shoes? Can you even know, without being there yourself?
They went ahead with the reduction, and Lisa was devastated, but in the end had two beautiful little girls, and a few years later a little boy.
Then about a month ago she saw a flyer in her church for something called 40 Days of Light. 40 Days of Light turned out to be a non-violent sit in of local family planning and abortion clinics in her area. Lisa was upset about this, and I believe rightfully so, and she talked it over with a group of friends, including me, and decided to write the pastor of the church a letter explaining her situation. You can read the letter on Lisa's new blog here. What happened next saddens me, and it's a big part of why I don't participate in any religion. The priest completely ignored her letter. She thought maybe he never received it, until she ran into him the other day and gave her a cold, icy stare. She will no longer be attending this church.
What is the point of this post? To say I'm angry at the way Lisa was treated by this reverend, a reverend that is supposed to teach compassion, understanding, tolerance,and love. Instead of ignoring her letter and giving her icy stares, he should have called her to speak to her in person about her feelings. I know Lisa loved her baby boys. To this day she still doesn't know if she made the "right" decision. She did what she felt was best, what she had to do. To say I am pro-choice, because the important word that everyone forgets is CHOICE, and choice doesn't mean pro-abortion. I don't feel that Lisa even had an abortion, because I just don't see how she had any choice, but there are circumstances in which other people don't have a choice either. I'm not a religious person, but I believe if there is a God, he loves Lisa and her baby boys.
I can only ask that if you feel the same as I do, as Lisa does, and as my friends that are sharing this story today also do, that you share this wherever you can, that we can bring attention to the women that have to choose, for whatever reason, to not carry a baby to term. The truth is, sometimes that choice saves a life, or two.
The other friends sharing this story today:
Tonya says
What's sad to me about this is not even related to abortion, it's that people are judging GOD by a man. For Lisa to say that sitting in front of a clinic and family planning center is similar to her situation is absurd! Women going into those clinics are not doing it because of situations like this. I think Lisa felt relief from the Jewish priest because he was telling her what she wanted to hear. He was justifying her only option. This is why people like Bernadette cannot put their faith in God. They are looking at people here on earth, like this Reverend, who are not showing God's grace and love in all aspects of life. We are humans and we sin, that is why God is here. Don't expect God's standards to be fulfilled by man...that's why we have Jesus!
Callie says
"Women going into those clinics are not doing it because of situations like this...." Of course they are. And for many other reasons you probably can't imagine.