[Please join me in praying for children, families, and the future on Thursdays this year.]
One day last summer I spent an afternoon with a woman who has two young adult sons, two adopted sons, currently ages 12 and 10, and a 6 1/2 year old. After the adoption was complete she and her husband realized that both boys had “something wrong” and subsequent testing diagnosed fetal alcohol syndrome. Fast forward 8+ years and both boys have severe behavioral, social, and/or intellectual issues. One will never be able to live on his own, the other is in intensive therapies for violent tendencies. My friend and her husband have a heart for foster children and special needs children; they both believe that God called them to adopt these children. But the reality of their everyday life is exhausting, to say the least.
In some circles these children would have never been born. Does their FAS justify their lives being aborted? Or do their lives have value because they are created in the Imago Dei – the image of God? (Genesis 1:27)
A year ago the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade was announced. Our conversation about this led to the reality that when babies are not being aborted, mothers (and, hopefully, fathers) have to be supported – financially, with help with parenting skills, with child care, with housing, and with other resources. Is the Church ready to do so? If we truly believe that “thou shall not murder” includes unborn life in the womb, will we be the safety net for these moms and their children?
Will we radically change the outlook for these almost-aborted children? Will we?
There are questions we, the Church, must prayerfully ponder and quickly answer. Many lives are in the balance and our answers matter to moms (and dads) and children.
God of Life,
Thank you for the beauty and wonder you instill in each child you create in your image. Today we pray for foster parents and adoptive parents who fiercely war for their precious children, especially in light of some extremely challenging circumstances. We pray for strength, wisdom, endurance, patience, peace, and grace to be on their lives. Be Jehovah Jireh, their provider of finances, support, rest, and protection. And while much of your Church may be celebrating the overturning of Roe vs. Wade and the rescue of the unborn, we also realize the enormity of rescuing struggling moms and children. Thank you for the many pregnancy and family resource centers that operate and we pray for an abundance of financial, staff, and other resources they need. But we pray you will turn the hearts of your people in the Church to commit to supporting struggling families in real, tangible, life changing ways. Spirit, move in our hearts we pray. In Christ’s name, Amen.
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” (Psalm 127:3)
“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 139:15-16)
[Adapted from post from June 25, 2022]