In light of the recent Reproductive Health bill passing in New York which allows the termination of pregnancy after 24 weeks if the fetus is not viable or a woman’s health/life is under threat , I am sharing a post from 2017 that seems fitting and urge everyone to see through the eyes of love.
“Understandably so, some of the most common questions I get in public are “How can someone not want their baby? Why did they just give them up like that?” The less we know the faster we are to make pretty intense assumptions. In some foster situations, it is true that some parents abandon their children. However, that isn’t always the case. Most parents are heartbroken when their children are removed. Often times it is due to bad choices and desperate situations. Sometimes they are in a cycle they can’t seem to break or circumstances that are beyond their control. Sometimes, dare I say, they are victims themselves. In most cases, no matter why they were removed, these babies are loved and adored by their parents. Sometimes they can get them back, sometimes they can’t.
What I wish people knew, is how beautiful their mamas are. Their love and wanting aren’t lacking. Getting to know each mama’s name and her specific story has enlarged my heart and my understanding. It has broken my heart. It has opened my eyes.
Before we fostered I also made assumptions. I thought I was the one doing the saving. Now I understand I am the one being saved. Saved from my own ignorance and my own opinion. Their parents have to face tough realities while I love their little ones. I don’t take that honor lightly. I am thankful for the full house and the messy moments, it means something bigger is taking place”
I do not agree with abortion. I recently had a baby and I can’t imagine leaving the hospital without her. I can’t imagine ending her life a week before she was due.
I also can’t imagine being 14 and pregnant with her. I can’t imagine my body being used by men hour after hour. I can’t imagine my parents selling me into that life. I can’t imagine being 20 and so lost in this world I didn’t know the value of a life or the purpose of my own. I can’t imagine any of it because I never had to live through it.
Heartbreak doesn’t even come close to the right word. In a world full of hateful Facebook posts and uneducated judgments, here is where I have found myself:
I will wage war for life, but I cannot justify trampling the wounded on the way to the battle. I must keep my heart at a place that I will stand for truth, but also be willing to run across the street for the broken carrying the weight of her choice. When I forget how to do both, then I fall into dangerous territory myself.
If you find yourself in a situation where you have to make a choice, I am here. I will love you and get you connected with resources the best that I can. You aren’t too broken that you cannot be used. You have value.