Ministering to Families With a Negative Fetal Diagnosis

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:04.240 Human beings have an intrinsic value, not because of traits that they have or 2 00:00:04.280 --> 00:00:09.240 don't have, but because of the fact that they're human beings. I Am 3 00:00:09.320 --> 00:00:16.239 Yours, I'm yours, I'm yours, and me, Lord, I'm yours, 4 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:21.359 I'm yours. I'm welcome to the Gospel centered pro life podcast, a 5 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:27.120 podcast designed to equip, encourage and challenge you in pro life ministry, and 6 00:00:27.239 --> 00:00:34.079 always with a focus on the Gospel. Stay tuned. I felt your past 7 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:47.159 touch your heart. Use either. Everyone. Welcome to the Gospel centered pro 8 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:52.240 life podcast. I'm welcome. I'm welcome, welcome, and this is Daniel 9 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:57.640 Parks. Listen to me. And so today's topic again is from one of 10 00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:03.320 our listeners who contacted us and said she had not heard us discuss the issue 11 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:11.840 of fetal disability or special needs children and the rise in abortion of that population. 12 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:17.000 And also how do you address a mom at an abortion center who says 13 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:21.760 that is the reason for her abortion? Now we've sort of touched what we 14 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:26.599 have definitely touched on that in many podcasts, but we haven't dedicated a whole 15 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:30.120 podcast to that subject and we felt that was an important Um, yeah, 16 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:36.560 absolutely important topic. Yeah, so she had sent an article that I read 17 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:42.519 and I posted the link to that article in the article that I wrote on 18 00:01:42.680 --> 00:01:52.120 this topic. But one of the disturbing trends following Roe v Wade being overturned 19 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:59.519 is that even some of the states that had nearly full protection laws prior to 20 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:08.800 Roe v Wade are now adding an exception for fetal abnormality. And so when 21 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:14.680 I liked what they said, the way that they stated the issue, so 22 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:16.680 I'm just gonna read this is straight out of that article. You can find 23 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:21.719 that article again, go to the article I wrote. It's it's an online 24 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:25.479 publication, I think Washington stand dot Com, I think, is the name 25 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:30.479 of it. But so the quote is State legislator leaders have caved to the 26 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:36.199 emotional pull of these stories, and that's the stories of of fetal abnormality, 27 00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:40.240 particularly that the child, the condition of the child, is truly incompatible with 28 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:44.360 life. So they're going to be either born dead or they're going to be 29 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:50.800 born and have minutes. Is that to live? Changing total protections for the 30 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:57.039 unborn to protections for the unborn, accept Um and then accept dot, dot 31 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:00.560 dot. So, in fact, when Indiana passed their nearly nearly full protection 32 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:07.039 law for the unborn earlier this month, they did so specifically excluding people prenatally 33 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:13.000 diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly, anomaly up to twenty weeks just station. 34 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:17.319 This is especially notable as, prior to the overturn of row, Indiana was 35 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:25.840 one of just six states that protected unborn children with any chromosomal um abnormality from 36 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:32.639 eugenic abortions. So they're back stepping, their backpedaling on full protection to now 37 00:03:32.680 --> 00:03:38.319 they're adding this and and I'm not sure why that's happening, but the author 38 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:45.240 said that this is Um a disturbing trend and we need to counter that. 39 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:47.639 We need to talk about it and we need to know how to counter it. 40 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:53.560 Um Not not for you and I on the sidewalk, maybe not necessarily 41 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:59.319 politically or with laws, but certainly how do we counter that when we encounter 42 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:04.000 mobs who say my baby is gonna die, maybe before being born, but 43 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:10.039 certainly after birth, that the condition is so severe? Or what we face 44 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:15.000 more commonly is there is some sort of abnormality, down syndrome being probably the 45 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:21.240 most common um and so they they feel that they need to kill the baby 46 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:25.879 as opposed to face that. Yeah, I think for our purposes. It's 47 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:30.600 it's kind of a twofold issue because there is there is a higher kind of 48 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:36.600 higher level way to view this as a nation Um. And then as far 49 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:41.240 as like the overturning of Roe v way, we understand and we believe that 50 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:45.079 Roe v way should be overturned. And ultimately, I believe, and hopefully 51 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:47.439 everyone that listens to this podcast believes, that there should be some kind of 52 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:54.319 constitutional protection for every human being, born or unborn. You're a human being, 53 00:04:54.439 --> 00:04:58.680 you deserve to be protected under the law of these United States of America. 54 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:03.519 And again, if you're a human being, doesn't matter what abnormalities you 55 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:08.160 have, if you're a human being, you should be protected under the law. 56 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:11.199 So that's the higher level thing that we really need to understand it we 57 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:15.399 really need to push for. As believers in Jesus, human beings are precious. 58 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:19.560 Human beings have an intrinsic value, not because of traits that they have 59 00:05:19.720 --> 00:05:25.199 or don't have, but because of the fact that they're human beings. Human 60 00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:29.319 beings are made in the image of God. Human beings with down syndrome are 61 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:32.319 made in the image of God, human beings with trusting on me Um eighteen, 62 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:39.839 one of those or thirteen, these different fetal abnormalities that are chromosotal issues, 63 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:44.160 are human beings made in the image of God, right. Um, 64 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:48.439 whatever the other dwarf is, M is another issue. There are severe forms 65 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:51.680 of dwarfism that can cause, you know, all kinds of issues to a 66 00:05:51.680 --> 00:05:57.360 baby that is uh, that's born with those issues. They're still human beings 67 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:59.759 made in the image of God, and so we have to have it fixed 68 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:03.040 in our hearts in our minds that that is the right stance to take right 69 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:06.480 it, regardless of what Indiana does or any other state does. The right 70 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:11.600 stands to take is that human beings have an intrinsic value and deserve to be 71 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:16.279 protected under the law and we can't kill them just because, um, just 72 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:20.680 because of issues that they have. We can't kill them just because issues that 73 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:25.879 they might call use for their family or whatever, because it really what we're 74 00:06:25.879 --> 00:06:30.560 doing is we're, like you said, their Indiana is backpedaling here. You're 75 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:35.279 essentially saying that human beings are precious deserve to be protected under the law unless 76 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:40.000 they have this issue or that issue. Right now, I know it can 77 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:44.639 get more granular and can get more difficult. No one's pretending that these situations 78 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.240 are easy to deal with. Their heartbreaking. Now I mean knowing to carry 79 00:06:47.240 --> 00:06:53.199 a baby for nine months only to know with, I guess, a lot 80 00:06:53.240 --> 00:07:00.279 of certainty, that Um that that baby will only live very briefly. So 81 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:03.240 it is heartbreaking, there's no doubt about it. But there are things we 82 00:07:03.319 --> 00:07:09.040 can say or appoint those parents too, that can help them to deal with 83 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:12.439 this in a God honoring way. Yeah, yeah, and that's ultimately the 84 00:07:12.519 --> 00:07:15.839 point is. We want to honor Jesus, we want to honor God. 85 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:21.040 And when you know you get a bad diagnosis, whatever that diagnosis might be, 86 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:25.959 whether it's for the baby or for the mother, we understand there's fear, 87 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:30.079 there's concerns, there's things that we ought to be concerned about, but 88 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:33.199 when we go to well, the doctor has said this and so it's absolutely 89 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:36.839 here's going to be the result that we don't leave any space for the Lord 90 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:41.000 to do his thing right, we don't leave any space for doctors to be 91 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:45.839 wrong, we don't leave any space for God to intervene miraculously. I'm thinking 92 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:46.959 of a story, Um, just off the top of my head, and 93 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:50.360 I don't know all the details because it happened several years ago, but it 94 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:55.160 was a couple that actually me and my wife went to school with, and 95 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:58.160 their child was diagnosed, and this was actually in the local newspaper from the 96 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:01.720 city that we're from. Um, this I was diagnosed with Um, some 97 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:07.040 kind of rare brain disorder, and they were told that they should abort because 98 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:09.079 this child is going to be born basically brain dead, not going to be 99 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:13.360 a functioning individual. They're gonna have to care for this child, even if, 100 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:16.199 you know, if the child even lives beyond birth, they're gonna have 101 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:20.639 to care for this child for the rest of this child's life. Um, 102 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:24.759 Lo and behold, the doctors were wrong. This child did have some issues, 103 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:28.920 but they were not issues that merited, I mean no issue merits killing 104 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:31.559 that child, but they are not issues that merited the level of fear that 105 00:08:31.679 --> 00:08:35.639 the doctors. Um, we're really instilling in these people. Now, I 106 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:39.759 don't mean to say that when doctors do this every time are they trying to 107 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:43.159 convince people to abort their child, but doctors do a lot of times operate 108 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:48.720 in a spirit of fear. And let's remember, even though some doctors think 109 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:54.039 they are, no one is God except for God himself. Right, and 110 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:58.200 so we have to leave space for God to be God. As a society 111 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:01.039 and individually, we have to least leave space for God to be God and 112 00:09:01.080 --> 00:09:05.759 for him to work miraculously. And you know kind of where I was going 113 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:07.840 with this is this is twofold. We need to understand that on a national 114 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:13.559 leveling to understand that and kind of, Um, a philosophical level. Right, 115 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:18.519 we've got to understand every human being is precious and deserves to be protected 116 00:09:18.600 --> 00:09:24.000 under the law period. Second, though, we're gonna deal with women at 117 00:09:24.039 --> 00:09:26.840 the abortion centers. You maybe already have those who are listening a certainly know 118 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:31.919 we already have dealt with women and uh, families that say that their child 119 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:37.559 has this fetal abnormality and therefore they feel like they need to abort, and 120 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:41.679 so we're gonna really dig into that in this article. Um, how do 121 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:46.720 you answer that? How do you give them some assurance that God's with them? 122 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:48.639 How you give them assurance that they're doing the right thing if they turn 123 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:54.559 away from abortion? How do you give them kind of the reality check that 124 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:58.159 if they do have an abortion, it's not okay just because their their baby 125 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:03.519 has issues? Right? So how do yeah, and the first way or 126 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:09.799 the first method that I always point out, you already mentioned, when always 127 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:13.320 remember the doctors can be wrong. They can be wrong. We have so 128 00:10:13.399 --> 00:10:16.240 many stories of that. We have stories personally, just in in our time 129 00:10:16.279 --> 00:10:20.600 out on the sidewalk, and the Internet is filled with them. There was 130 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:26.960 one that I remember. I do look for these stories on on Facebook, 131 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:31.159 on the Internet, because I remember them and I can use those stories to 132 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:37.360 reassure the women that they should at the very least get a second opinion. 133 00:10:37.960 --> 00:10:41.600 But Um, but this story was of a baby similar to the story you 134 00:10:41.720 --> 00:10:46.840 told that and they showed pictures this. These parents showed pictures of the baby's 135 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:52.120 brain and there was the baby had like a third, if that, of 136 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:54.240 the brain. The rest of the brain just wasn't there. And there was 137 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:58.720 a condition, whatever. It is very rare, whatever it was called, 138 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:05.279 and the Um, the baby was Um, was born and they did a 139 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:11.120 living which was a shock to them because they said the condition was absolutely incompatible 140 00:11:11.159 --> 00:11:16.080 with life. The baby was born and the doctors were just absolutely dumbfounded when 141 00:11:16.120 --> 00:11:22.840 they did whatever scan of the baby's head because they don't know why this baby 142 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:28.720 is living and the brain was like it grown back. They said there was. 143 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:35.360 There was zero chance of that happen medically. Zero Um and they said 144 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:37.679 it was just that it was nothing short of an a miracle. A miracle, 145 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:41.759 and the baby's fine. I mean there are issues, like you said 146 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:45.039 with your friend, there are issues, but the baby is alive. That 147 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:48.759 I think the baby is expected to live and the brain apparently is still developing 148 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:56.480 in ways that the doctors just absolutely never believed possible. The one caution I 149 00:11:56.480 --> 00:12:01.440 would say is that while doctors can and be wrong, they can also be 150 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:09.799 correct and we don't want to give a false hope that is going to put 151 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:16.440 this woman on an emotional roller coaster. Um, but we, I do 152 00:12:16.600 --> 00:12:22.320 think we are always called to say, have you gotten a second opinion, 153 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:28.200 because so often they have not. Yeah, oftentimes too. You have to 154 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:33.120 understand that the doctors, because they're in a position of authority, and steal 155 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:37.200 a lot of fear and hopelessness. And again, I don't know that they're 156 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:41.360 trying to do that. I think some are. Some think that their God 157 00:12:41.919 --> 00:12:46.600 and they think that their word is holds more weight than God's word, but 158 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:50.039 most are just trying to be you know, they're trying to be honest, 159 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:52.679 they're trying to be accurate. They're trying not to give false hope and so 160 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:58.639 they tend to lean more towards the negative rather than hey, maybe they're maybe 161 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:03.159 I could you're wrong. You know, doctors don't oftentimes like to admit that 162 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:07.279 they could be wrong and the medical tests can be wrong and Um, so 163 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:13.159 I think always mentioning that is important and not doing it in such a way 164 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.279 where you're trying to get them to mistrust their doctor. Right, if they're 165 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:18.840 well, I'd say this, if their doctor has told them to come to 166 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:22.519 the abortion clinic to kill their child, then yes, I definitely want to 167 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:28.440 pit them against their doctor. I do because that doctor has basically affirmed the 168 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:33.000 idea that it's okay to murder a child because they have a disability. Right, 169 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:35.440 and that doctor, to me, is he's went against his oath, 170 00:13:35.559 --> 00:13:41.279 right his his oath is to do no harm and he's decided that he's he's 171 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:43.159 gonna encourage a woman to do harm to her child. He's not doing his 172 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:46.320 job as a doctor. So I will say you shouldn't trust that doctor. 173 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:52.759 Help, let us help you get a second opinion. But the fear that 174 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:58.279 these doctors and still, because they're in this position of authority in the sense 175 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:01.320 is like understandable. They're the guys that are supposed to know. They're the 176 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:05.679 folks that are supposed to get the stuff right, and they could get suit 177 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:09.799 if, if this baby is born with this condition and they haven't fully warned, 178 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:13.840 woman, they do need to be. Yeah, Um, but again, 179 00:14:13.879 --> 00:14:16.960 we're still we're dealing with human life, and so we want to to 180 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:20.519 me, that's constantly what you're touching on. This is a human being, 181 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:26.360 whatever their issues might be, just because they may have disabilities or may not. 182 00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:30.039 Um, there's still a human being. But also, I want to 183 00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:35.440 address that this one statement that you'll hear in these um scenarios. oftentimes it's 184 00:14:35.480 --> 00:14:39.440 incompatible with life. This baby is incompatible with life, this feat is, 185 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:45.639 whatever terms they want to use, is incompatible with life. Um, okay. 186 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:48.799 If that's the case, though, they're going to be born and their 187 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:52.799 condition is incompatible with life, so they're gonna die shortly after they're born. 188 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:58.080 That's really a self conflicting statement. If the baby, though it might have, 189 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:03.080 he or she might have complications, if they're alive in the womb, 190 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:07.799 they're not incompatible with life. They're already alive. So to say that a 191 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:13.480 baby in the womb because it has this fetal abnormality is incompatible with life. 192 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:16.159 When it's born, it's gonna die immediately. You're conflicting what you're saying. 193 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.879 It can't die if it's not alive. Right, that baby is already alive 194 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:26.559 and I think I always touch on that. You don't remedy someone's suffering by 195 00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:31.840 causing more suffering. Think about what an abortion does. An abortion kills a 196 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:35.960 human being. It causes suffering. Right, it's gonna stop a heart that's 197 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:41.559 already beating, and so this idea that it's incompatible with life, this baby 198 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:45.919 is incompatible with life is absurd. If the baby is already alive, it's 199 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:48.480 very much compatible with life. Now we know that it's the mother's body that's 200 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:52.840 sustaining that child's life. That's the way God designed it to be. Again, 201 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:58.720 we've got to leave space for God to do what only he can do, 202 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:03.240 just like in Sich wations where a child has cancer or something like that. 203 00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:07.799 Those are terrible situations, but we don't give the child a lethal injection 204 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:11.519 because they're going to suffer with cancer. Right. We we do everything we 205 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:15.960 can to intervene until we can't intervene anymore. And what do we do? 206 00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:19.399 We leave it in God's hands. Right. Yeah, and you've touched onto 207 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:22.799 two of the next main points that were brought out, Um, in the 208 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:26.399 article that we're going to be putting out with this podcast. Uh. The 209 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:30.720 second thing is reaffirmed the sanctity of human life. Always go back to that. 210 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:34.080 Like you said, that should probably be the number one thing really on 211 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:41.320 on this article. Is the sanctity of human life supersede to everything, everything 212 00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:45.480 else. And then what you said. The potential for suffering does not justify 213 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:49.159 murder. I mean, honestly, the potential for suffering is true in every 214 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:53.120 single human being on earth. On Earth we will all suffer and when some 215 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:59.360 of us will suffer terribly, but that doesn't mean that murder should be the 216 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:04.000 answer to suffering. Um. One of the verses that came to me was 217 00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:08.480 some thirty four eighteen. The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves 218 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:12.440 the Christian Spirit. We will suffer, all of us will suffer on earth, 219 00:17:12.759 --> 00:17:18.480 but remember that God is near to us through through suffering, and Um 220 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:26.759 and glorifying God is certainly the antidote. Not Um, not just define God 221 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:30.599 and and killing that innocent life. One of the things, of course, 222 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:33.400 related to that is is the fourth point in this article that you can use 223 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:37.799 to speak to the MOM. So I want to kind of give those main 224 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:41.599 points to make sure no one misses them. Second opinion, remember the doctors 225 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:45.640 can be wrong. Reaffirm the sanctity of human life. Potential for suffering does 226 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:49.440 not justify murder. And the next one is that really none of us know 227 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:53.759 how long we will live. None of us so. And there are again 228 00:17:53.920 --> 00:18:00.240 countless personal testimonies of baby is born with very serious complications, where the doctor 229 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:03.960 said this baby will not live seconds beyond birth, where the baby does live. 230 00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:11.000 and Um. So I get the argument. I understand the argument. 231 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:18.039 I don't want to carry a baby for nine months to then undergo the incredible 232 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:23.680 pain of watching that child die before my eyes minutes after I've delivered. I 233 00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:29.880 think you cannot gloss over the suffering that will cause the mother. It will, 234 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:34.680 it would be. I cannot imagine the pain of that. So I 235 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:42.720 totally get that. But I think what what is absent in just focusing on 236 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:51.200 that is but look what the blessing is. The blessing is a little human 237 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:57.759 being got to know the those few precious moments of being loved and seen. 238 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.720 Usually, in most cases, the MOM is able to hold that child, 239 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:07.000 the family can hold that child. And again, I have seen so many 240 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:11.880 personal testimonies of Moms who have faced that, have had their their baby die 241 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:18.759 within minutes and said, while it was incredibly painful, there was so much 242 00:19:18.920 --> 00:19:25.200 joy and blessing and having been able to hold that child for those brief moments. 243 00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:29.000 Yeah, I think one of the most important things, as it pertains 244 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:32.519 to us, minister, on the sidewalk, will we encounter these situations, 245 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:36.880 is to answer it with compassion, yes, right, to identify with their 246 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:40.799 pain. You guys have heard me talk about compassion calm, which means with 247 00:19:41.079 --> 00:19:45.119 breaking down that word calm, the prefix with, and then passion actually means 248 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:49.519 suffering. So to have compassion means to suffer with them, to enter into 249 00:19:49.559 --> 00:19:52.960 their suffering. The Bible says we weep with those that weep, we mourn 250 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:57.640 with those who mourn. If you encounter a mom family on the sidewalk that 251 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:03.720 comes to the abortion center and they say our baby has this issue, doctor 252 00:20:03.799 --> 00:20:07.680 says this baby is incompatible with life, we feel like we have to do 253 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:10.920 this. We don't go through all the pain. We want to identify with 254 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:15.519 that suffering, we want to identify with that struggle, right enter into their 255 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:19.240 suffering with them. But I do think again, these personal testimonies, whether 256 00:20:19.519 --> 00:20:23.400 personal testimonies like we talked about, of times where doctors have been wrong, 257 00:20:25.160 --> 00:20:29.720 but also personal testimonies of you know, even if you go through this and 258 00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:33.079 that baby does die after he or she is born, is at least you 259 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:38.519 love that child as much as you could, either than coming to a place 260 00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:45.839 like this and subjecting that baby and yourself to a place that kills children from 261 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:48.279 money. Yeah, that was you. You exactly touched on where I was. 262 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:52.640 What I was going to add is, is you save yourself from the 263 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:57.920 remorse and sorrow of having taken that child's life yourself, your that baby dying 264 00:20:59.079 --> 00:21:03.519 at your hand, or at your permission at best, as opposed to the 265 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:10.279 baby dying once it was born and having experienced at least a few moments of 266 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:14.359 joy, of being held and known by his parents? Yeah, and then 267 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:15.720 there can be on our part, though, just so we understand, no 268 00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:21.599 pretense that these are easy situations and no kind of flippant response, but it 269 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:25.680 still doesn't justify killing your baby. That's the reality. But, like I've 270 00:21:25.720 --> 00:21:29.960 said before, you can be you can be technically right, but but relationally 271 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:33.680 wrong, and we always want to answer it with compassion and also understand two 272 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:37.599 and this is because people will lie to you, all right, we we've 273 00:21:37.640 --> 00:21:41.200 talked about that, what to do when we think that they're lying. People 274 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:45.160 can lie to you and I've heard people make up scenarios like my baby has 275 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:49.359 down syndrome or my baby has trusting on me eighteen or whatever. My baby 276 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:55.079 is gonna be dead when my baby doesn't have a brain or whatever. You 277 00:21:55.160 --> 00:22:00.240 can almost always tell that they're lying when they come over to you and kind 278 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.880 of this arrogant demeanor. Most of the time people in this scenario, if 279 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:08.799 they do talk to you, they're gonna be super humbled, right, they're 280 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:12.680 gonna be broken hearted, and you can read that situation. Um. But 281 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:17.480 even if you do have someone that comes over and they're arrogant and they're prideful 282 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:21.680 and they tell you their baby has this whatever issue, you don't want to 283 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:23.480 push back with saying well, that doesn't matter. You still want to answer 284 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:26.359 with compassion, you still want to give them the benefit of the doubt. 285 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:32.039 But oftentimes when you do encounter these situations, they're gonna be humbled already, 286 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:36.160 they're gonna be broken already. And for you guys, you love Jesus, 287 00:22:36.200 --> 00:22:38.039 it's not gonna be hard for you to enter into their suffering with them. 288 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:44.400 Prayer is very important. Can I just pray with you? Sometimes, we 289 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:48.160 always we want to put words in where actually we need to put prayer in. 290 00:22:48.279 --> 00:22:52.319 We wanna, we want to add in opinions and our opinions, and 291 00:22:52.359 --> 00:22:56.079 really we need to bring God into the situation, and so I would always 292 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:59.880 just say, can I pray with you and invite God into the situation. 293 00:23:00.039 --> 00:23:02.839 Help this couple and, like we talked about, you're praying for them, 294 00:23:02.839 --> 00:23:04.839 but you're also praying at them. Helped this couple to see that their baby 295 00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:10.039 has value, is loved and known by you, and that this place is 296 00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:11.880 actually a place of darkness, because to me, if they're going through a 297 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:17.359 struggle like this, the last place they need to be is inside of planned 298 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:22.799 parenthood or one of the latrobe abortion center, where it's full of darkness, 299 00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:26.400 it's full of death. There are women in there just flippantly killing their children 300 00:23:26.599 --> 00:23:30.200 when they're going through one of the worst situations that anyone could be in right. 301 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:33.880 It's the worst place that they could be in my opinion, on so 302 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:40.200 many levels. But Um, uh, sharing personal testimonies are are we've already 303 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:42.720 touched on that and that was kind of the last major point of something that 304 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:48.559 you can offer to them. But there is also help available, and this 305 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:52.799 was new to me. Actually, I'm really grateful to this reader or this 306 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:57.640 listener who sent me that article article, because in the article there was a 307 00:23:57.680 --> 00:24:02.799 resource I was unfamiliar you're with, and I think everybody needs to have this 308 00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:07.279 on their resource list. I did explore this, this Um resource. I 309 00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:12.240 went to the website, I I read all the dropdown menus and it's fantastic. 310 00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:18.799 It's called be not afraid and the website is on our article, be 311 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:23.200 not afraid dot net. So it's a national organization. It's centered here in, 312 00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:26.720 I believe, concord, North Carolina, so it's out of North Carolina, 313 00:24:26.759 --> 00:24:32.640 but it is national and it actually its purpose is to help parents who 314 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:37.440 have been given a diagnosis of fetal abnormalities. So it is first and foremost, 315 00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:41.880 the first thing I look for is okay, is it pro life or 316 00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:45.559 is there a chance they would say well, with certain abnormalities, they would 317 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:48.920 recommend abortion. That is not the case. They would never recommend abortion. 318 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:53.119 It's it's based on the truth that all human life is valuable and that, 319 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:57.920 basically, abortion should never be considered to deal with the very real issues of 320 00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:06.839 fetal abnormalities. So some of the stuff it helps with mentors resources and strategies 321 00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:11.839 so that parents feel better equipped to welcome their child to the world. And 322 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:17.559 so there's a case management team that will be appointed Um to to that those 323 00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:22.920 parents and they some of the help that they provided that was listed on the 324 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:30.000 website Um include a birth plan, depending on what the diagnosis is, the 325 00:25:30.119 --> 00:25:37.720 local resources that they can connect the parents with, education about the disability and 326 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:41.720 what the parents need to know to be able to parent this child or even 327 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:45.839 just deal with the birth of the child. BERIEVE mint how to deal with 328 00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:51.720 the grief following if the child does die. They even help with funeral cost 329 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:56.640 if that is necessary, and guidance if if the child dies, and then 330 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:02.359 they do ongoing support and contact for a full year following the child's firths. 331 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:04.319 So they could be following these moms for, you know, potentially a year 332 00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:11.480 and nine months, and it just it sounds incredible, like a great resources 333 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:15.599 resource. So everybody should look that up and get them on their um on 334 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:22.599 their resource list in your area. And then the final area is not to 335 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:26.359 forget, and Daniel, I know you'll love dealing with this one, the 336 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:32.319 role of the Church and in walking alongside these these MOMS, these families. 337 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:36.000 Yeah, and, as often as said, the church is called to be 338 00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:40.400 the hands and feet of Jesus. We are called to walk alongside these families 339 00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:44.200 again, to to grieve with those that grieve, to mourn with those that 340 00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:49.319 weren't, to weep with those that weep, but also practically to help these 341 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:56.480 families. We have mentors all across the nation and, Um, I know 342 00:26:56.559 --> 00:27:00.920 God is raising up people that have been in situations similar into this of seeing 343 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:04.799 God miraculously make connections with families that are struggling with some of the same things. 344 00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:08.079 God, God, already has a mentor in a church in that city 345 00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:14.559 that can come alongside that mom who has gone through a similar situation. Um, 346 00:27:14.599 --> 00:27:18.079 and so just, you know, leveraging the church, the connections with 347 00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:22.480 the churches. Um, I know that this ministry it's in Mooresville. I've 348 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:26.079 just looked it up, moville. So it's not not far from where we 349 00:27:26.119 --> 00:27:27.799 are right now, and I've actually heard about them in the past. Now 350 00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:33.000 that I'm thinking about this, Um is connected to a local church right this 351 00:27:33.079 --> 00:27:37.279 is the hands and feed of Jesus, is the body of Christ working together, 352 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:41.680 coming alongside these families. So there's various ways that the church can do 353 00:27:41.799 --> 00:27:44.799 that, and I think one of the main things, though, is the 354 00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:48.839 mentor program walking alongside these families if they decided to not not to go through 355 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:52.079 with the abortion, but also if they decided to go through with the abortion, 356 00:27:52.119 --> 00:27:55.960 we still want to be there with them, speaking the truth, coming 357 00:27:56.000 --> 00:28:00.359 alongside them, Um, speaking what God's words say us and turning them to 358 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:06.160 Jesus. Ultimately, the job of the church is to point people to Jesus 359 00:28:06.200 --> 00:28:08.359 Christ, and that's what we always want to be doing for these families and 360 00:28:08.400 --> 00:28:15.000 what other families are are struggling with various situations, as your scripture says here 361 00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:17.680 at the end of your article, bear one one of those burdens and so 362 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:19.680 fulfill the law of Christ. The Law of Christ is summed up in one 363 00:28:19.720 --> 00:28:25.240 word love. And as much as we would want someone to come alongside us 364 00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:29.640 in a difficult situation like that, we need to come alongside them. Amen, 365 00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:33.359 Amen, and and just. Um. I hope this article will encourage 366 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:37.960 every sidewalk counselor to not be afraid to deal biblically with this situation. The 367 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:41.640 death of the baby is not the answer. Um, the an abortion is 368 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:45.240 not the answer. To trust that, that God. Maybe this is a 369 00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:49.400 good article to help you know, empower you to feel you you can approach 370 00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:56.200 these families with love and Biblical Truth and hopefully still save a life. Yeah, 371 00:28:56.519 --> 00:28:59.799 yeah, Amen. Well, guys, we hope that this was in 372 00:28:59.799 --> 00:29:02.480 Ancouragement to you. Guys. Hope that this equipped you, guess, to 373 00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:06.799 be more effective on the sidewalk. If, like this article started from an 374 00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:10.640 email from someone who listens, we appreciate you send it in this question and 375 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:14.440 Um, if you guys have something similar topic, something you've not seen us 376 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:17.920 cover thus far in an episode, we'd love to hear from you. You 377 00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:19.920 can reach out to meet Daniel at Love Life Dot Org. You reach her 378 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:23.279 Vicky with a hy at Love Life Dot Org. We'd love to hear from 379 00:29:23.319 --> 00:29:27.000 you. Please also leave us a review on whatever podcast service that you use. 380 00:29:27.319 --> 00:29:32.599 Share this podcast with others and until next time, God bless God. 381 00:29:32.599 --> 00:29:45.559 Bless you all. Give me our love for love. Give me our love 382 00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:57.240 for gratitude. I know it will cost me my life. Nothing's too precious, 383 00:29:57.480 --> 00:30:08.079 and some you, M M M