Precious In His Sight

This post is completely pro-life, if you are an ABSOLUTE pro-choice opinion holder, please do NOT even bother reading. Discussions are welcomed, but I have no interest in arguing about this topic for I fail to see the point of doing so.)

Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.

As life picked back up its constant pace for me (the last two months were kinda crazy!), I am able to be a more diligent blogger than I have been... I used to be able to come up with something to say on my Chinese blog everyday! (uh, not too surprising, right!?)



I was confronted and challenged with a heavy and hard question yesterday (and it took me two nights to really gather my thoughts together...). A question that I personally have encountered many times but never really came to a certain conclusion; maybe by blogging about it, I would travel farther in my exploration.

Are pre-natal testings something Christians should do? What good does it do when you're not going to abort the baby anyway regardless the result?Is it not okay for termination because the foetus has been found to have severe health problems and if carried to term would then be severely disabled (either mentally or physically)?

I am openly pro-life. I love kids and rejoice with friends as they celebrate to bring new lives to this world.

Isabella, a precious girl whose parents are good friends of mine in China

Whenever a new life is brought to the world, I feel like I am seeing a seed of heavenly hope planted into this world and those lives can grow to be fruitful plants with proper irrigation.

So asking me if I think if a life should be terminated due to any reason, including foreseeable difficulties, disabilities, and challenges; I would say NO.

Abigail is the fifth child of a family that is dear to my heart.
Her live was preserved because of her parents' faith for God, despise the practical difficulties they had to overcome.

As a scientist and a woman, I fully support the doing of pre-natal testing, such as amnion puncture and ultrasound. However, (and I know that it takes a lot of faith to say this...) the result, regardless how it looks like, should be respected and act as a heads-up for parents, only.
Pre-natal tests, while they can indicate that a chromosomal or anatomical abnormality is present, often cannot determine the extent to which this disability will impinge upon the life of the child. This level of disability cannot be diagnosed prenatally. Some other chromosomal conditions do not necessarily cause any impairment.

The "only" in the bolded font means skipping the "to keep or not to keep" step and march on down to being fully prepared to welcome the life. It means the beginning of learning and experience unconditional love.

Personally, I think by making it a multiple-choice question indicates "God, I think you've made a mistake, let me see how I can fix it."

But, yes, it is easy for me to say.
I am not sitting in the doctor's office, weeping with pieces of paper with difficult terms suggesting that this life I am carrying within me will be traveling on a more (or, very!) difficult path as soon as s/he's born, and has to face multiple hurdles... just to stay alive.

"What have I done wrong?"
"What is wrong with me/us?"
"Why?"

This is not the "typical" adversity that people encounter, after all, another life is involved; and it really does seem like there is an option.
The false guilt (yes, they are FALSE guilt) involved for a mother in this situation is great and incessant.
EVERY mother, in the right state of mind, would desire the best for her baby.
"Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?"
Many would think that when a mother thinks "maybe not sustaining this life and initiating a pain-filled journey"sounds like the way to go and should be easy, after all, it is hard for her not to want it.
However, many fail to really imagine the struggle and the guilt involved... "how can I think like this? I am talking about taking the life my own baby!"

The situation really does tear a mother up.

As a sister and friend, how then, are we to deal with this sensitively?

This is what makes it so extremely difficult and heavy for me. If I were just writing a scientific paper, I can very simply state my point and explain it and be done with it, cold words and sharp sentences wouldn't do much damage.

The Zhus is a family very close to my heart. Both parents are God-loving Christians and have raise children after His heart.

Ezra was the youngest of the three. Amadeus, the oldest, is a talented pianist and an extreme smart-cookie; Jedediah, the middle one, is always full of energy and wonderful ideas and questions, very gifted as well. Ezra is a great singer and a bundle of great joy, he has a heart to serve people and is so good at distributing utensils on the dinner table and directing guests for seating.

Oh, did I mention, Ezra was a Down's baby born with multiple medical complexity?

Is he not a great joy-giver? :)

"I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. I don't borrow from its sunshine. For its skies may turn to grey..." this song came clearly out of his mouth when we were in the car traveling outside of Beijing. The peacefulness he brought along with the song blocked out the disturbing noise and pollution from the heavy traffic, it also shook my heart deeply.

With great attempts to hold my tears back, I looked out of the window... I just couldn't lay my eyes on him and his so very worry-free smile. I know in my head that the average life expectancy is not long for people with Down's syndrome, and there are also lots of uncertain variables involved, his father knows that well, too, he is an epidemiologist.

He not only showed me how to play his toys, he also taught me "love"

The pre-natal tests were not done during Ezra's mom's pregnancy, thus the heartbrokenness (from learning about it and knowing that this child will have to go through a rough route, even just medically) and shock was great when he showed up to this world.
But the Zhus held on the God and obeyed His will and sovereignty.
Their faith is great and real.

Ezra has been a blessing for the family and all around him, and he will continue to be one for a long long time.

What is there to say to a mother in such situation?
Nothing.
Hug her and cry with her then wipe away her tears.

Company, encouragement and prayers-- just like facing all the other trials; but this one would take a life-time.

If we get to choose which baby to keep and which one not,  we go down the road of playing God by deciding who should make it and who should not , and then could lead to eugenics... deciding who deserves to be born.

Wrinkles and brokenness in life are inevitable, but when they are handed and surrendered to God, His hands transform them into blessings beyond our imaginations.

Epilogue


It took me a while to think through this and organize my thoughts. (And I truly hope that I am making sense... if not, please let me know :) !)
I may have come out strong on this issue but I state what I truly believe, I wrote with much love and tenderness at heart, also, tears.

We all pray for good lives and healthy babies, but often God has different plans and would decide to deliver the blessings and grace in different shapes and forms.

It may sound very strange when I say this, but being able to give birth and bring lives to the world is a privilege, not a granted right.
I pray that women all over the world who follow Jesus would not be shaken on this particular issue, and I pray that faith and strength would follow all of us as we are challenged and confronted by this issue in our lives.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
I know it is so easy for me to say, just sit in front of my computer and type up my thoughts.
It's unfair for me to assume that this would only happen to others; so I do pray for His grace and strength, should He ever decides that a blessing that comes in a different shape and form would be given to me.


"God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5