Pro-Life:Womb to Tomb
“This happened so that the work of God
might be displayed in his life.”
John 9:3 (NIV)
“Have your tools ready and God will find you work.” (Charles Kingsley)
I am finding Kingley’s statement to be true. Recently I was asked to serve on a new Theology of Life committee at our church. Our purpose is to develop a Pro-Life “Womb to Tomb” curriculum that will be taught throughout our church. Pastors, parents, and lay practitioners will provide training for issues that include:
Theology of Life - a biblical worldview from womb to tomb
Gender, sexuality, and identity
Fertility, birth control, and abortion
Special needs, fostering, and adoption
Aging and dementia
Wills, living wills, end of life decisions, and euthanasia.
Our pastors and seminary professors are tackling the training for our Pro-Life biblical worldview, gender, and sexuality issues. Christian physicians will handle fertility, birth control, abortion, and end of life discussions. Pro-Life lawyers will address the legality of abortion and euthanasia and the importance of having wills and living wills. Seasoned parents will speak to the challenges, barriers, and blessings that come with raising special needs, foster, or adopted children. Each lesson will provide an overview of the assigned topic; be biblically grounded in God’s Word; and include some practical application and available resources.
As a Christian special needs parent who was advised to have an abortion with our last two children, abortion for me is intensely personal. I shudder to think how different our lives would be now if Bruce and I had accepted the medical counsel we were given and chosen to have an abortion. How much we would have missed by not having James Bruce and Daniel in our family and lives.
James Bruce was 5 years old when his Dad challenged me to quit praying that God would make him normal and start praying, “God, use him for Your glory.” At the time, I couldn’t possibly imagine how God could ever use him. Through the years, our family saw God do just that. James Bruce was a change agent for our church, local school system, community, and family. But most of all, God used James Bruce to change me!
When James Bruce died 18 months ago, Bruce and I chose John 9:1-3 as our scripture passage for his memorial service. Seeing a blind man, the disciples ask Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” (John 9:2) Jesus replies, “Neither…but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3) Jesus’ answer didn’t just correct the disciples’ erroneous thinking; it also affirmed God’s sovereignty over our suffering. God was ultimately glorified through the man’s suffering. Jesus proved that God can use anything—disability, dirt, spit, mud,-- for His glory. God never wastes our suffering.
The ninth chapter of John’s gospel is all about the “seeing.”
Jesus sees a man born blind from birth. (9:1)
The disciples see a sinner. ((9:1)
The blind man sees darkness. (9:1)
The neighbors see a healed beggar. (9:8)
The Pharisees see a Law-breaker. (9:16)
The blind man’s parents see a trap. (9:21-22)
The healed blind man sees Jesus. (9:25, 38)
Jesus’ concern and compassion for those with disabilities should motivate us to do the same. He healed lepers; restored sight to the blind; made the lame to walk; opened deaf ears and silent mouths; and cast out demons from the mentally ill. New Testament mutuality commands are the house rules for all those who are in Christ. A number of these “one anothers” are particularly applicable to special needs parents and their children. These include:
Welcome one another (Matthew 18:5)
Greet one another (Romans 16:16)
Accept one another – (Romans 15:7)
Show hospitality to one another. (1 Peter 4:9)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Disability and special needs parenting is very isolating for families. There are many ways that we can help those affected by disability. Two primary ways we can come alongside special needs families are to invite and include.
Inviting and including might be as simple as inviting a special needs child to your typical child’s birthday party or wedding. James Bruce was ten years old before he received such an invitation. I cried when I opened that special invitation. I wept, however, when the child’s kind mother declined my RSVP refusal and insisted, “It wouldn’t be DeVan’s birthday party without James Bruce!”
Inclusion could look like a student body’s SGA philanthropy drive to provide essentials for a nonprofit organization serving those with disabilities.
If your church has a Disability Ministry, invite a special needs family to church, Vacation Bible School, ESL classes, or your Walk-Through Nativity. Even better, volunteer to help in one of those ministries. Allow your teenagers to be “buddies” for those who need assistance with inclusive classrooms. There are countless opportunities to invite and include those affected by disability.
God can use anything for His glory. Are you willing to be used?