I remember before my third child was born, my wife was already past her 30s. As a precautionary measure, our gynecologist recommended we do a pre-natal testing called amniocentesis, or 'amnio' for short. The purpose of the tests is to determine whether there will be birth risks for pregnant women who are past their 30s. One of the key concerns was the risk of having a Down's Syndrome baby. What the tests does is to insert a needle into the uterus so as to extract out some of the liquid in the abdomen, called the amniotic fluid. The fluid will then be tested for various possible problems. It is not a dangerous procedure, but it sure makes me squirm at the thought of a needle hurting both my wife and my baby. Anyway, much to my relief then, the results came back without problems.
This story reminds me of that moment. I am not sure if I would have testified the same way as the writer here, but I sure felt encouraged that this couple acknowledged their decision bravely as the most important day of their lives. See the Hsu family photo below.
On hindsight, we should have saved the additional money. After-all, we were planning to keep the baby regardless of the test results. Probably, at that time, I was simply being too cautious and lack faith. In "her.meneutics" today, there was a blogger by the name of Ellen Hsu who were able to testify that the day they let their son live was the most important day of their lives. Entitled, "The Day We Let Our Son Live," it is a testimony that love overcomes all, including what the world defines as birth defects. It is an inspiring post on how one's faith plays a part in very important decisions.
Life when defined solely by effectiveness, efficiency and excellence can cruelly make parents choose to abort babies with ANY kinds of birth defects. Life when defined by love in Christ will love all for Christ loved all, and died for all. Some decisions may be tough. However, love triumphs over the toughest challenges.
ks
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