It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all
ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored
[magnified, made to look great] in my body, whether by life or by
death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:20-21
You and I are on this planet for a few years, all for the same ultimate
reason but in various forms. This reason is that we would live and die
to make Christ look valuable as He really is.
-John Piper
There have been no mistakes made in this journey of ours. From the time we were born until now, God has called us to love Him, love others, and reflect His Glory. The latest chapter of our lives is just incredible. No man could have written a better "story" for us ... or for you.
Our hearts' greatest desire and plea is the same as Paul's ... that God may be seen and cherished above all by all, especially by those who are touched (in one way or another) by the miracle that He has performed in our family.
Now that I am 13+ weeks pregnant, I am beginning to get my little "fire" back. All week I have experienced the strong roar of desiring to share all that God has told us in this past year ... all that He so graciously provides for us each day. He is REAL.
For most Christians, our decision to keep all of the babies seems like an easy one ... one that was "automatic". For non-Christians, our decision not to selectively reduce seems ludicrous. I want to challenge not the latter, but the former crowd with the following perspective.
Imagine that you are sitting on a hospital bed, completely helpless and afraid. The doctors, who are renown in their respective fields ... 3 of them ... who are all believers, tell you that your best option is to abort 5 of your children. They tell you that if you don't "selectively reduce" (as they so nicely put it), your babies will probably not live and you may not either. They list the possible complications: severe prematurity that leads to blindness, deafness, retardation, palsy, and worse. The tell you that you will most likely experience extreme pain all throughout the pregnancy, contract gestational diabetes, and get preeclampsia because of all of the placenta matter. The doctors say that you will most likely go into labor way too early because your uterus has just "had it" and, if it is at a point of around 24 weeks, you will really need to have serious conversations with the neonatologists about how aggressive you want them to be to save the babies' lives because if they are born that early, their lives will probably not be worth living.
Would you refuse the offer without any hesitation?
I paint this picture because it is a real one. One that we have endured many times over the past 3 months. I ask this question NOT to give attention to us, but to challenge you with the sincerity, steadfastness, and strength of your faith and more importantly to ask you to really examine what you believe is the true character and nature of your God.
If your God is yourself, this test will not even be one for you. To preserve your health and well-being, you will reduce. If your faith is weak, fragile, and changes with your circumstances, you will undoubtedly reduce at the warnings and risks that lie ahead if you do not. Yet, if your faith is grounded and sustained not by you, but by God and His Son and His Spirit and His living and active Word, your God, who is sovereign and who is IN you will make the decision for you. This, by His power and grace alone, has been our incredible experience.
Steve and I do not live for ourselves. We do not live for pleasure, ease, leisure or entertainment even though our world and especially our country does. We, and you, if you are truly His, are called to so much more. We will not waste this life.
Thankful does not even touch the sentiment we have to God for allowing us to do something great in this life for His Glory. To fulfill our life's greatest and only purpose through taking such a great earthly risk is nothing but a humongous privilege that we are unworthy to possess.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
We have no idea what the future holds. I CAN NOT open my bible and find God promising me that all 7 of us will be perfectly healthy, or even make it through alive for that matter. Actually, I find many more promises of suffering and death for Christ's disciples and apostles suffered greatly and died painfully for His cause. I CAN find in my bible all of the promises that I have mentioned in the posts before this. Some of God's greatest promises that I am holding on to right now are all found in Romans 8:
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. v1
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. vv16-17
the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. v18
the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. vv26-27
for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. v28
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? vv31-32
Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. v34
Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. vv35-39
There is no mistake that I started studying Romans intensively in January and just NOW finished chapter 8. For such a time as this there is no greater Word. Ah, just another example of God being in total control of this. Praise His Name!
We pray that you truly love God.
We pray that you are truly called according to His purpose.
If these two things are true for you, rest secure in knowing that you will NOT waste your life.
13 week ultrasound. A few pics. 6 beautiful babies growing strong.
Big things poppin'! Measuring at 18 weeks.
Taking advantage of and not taking for granted these sweet summer days.
[I heard] the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels,
numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands saying, "Worthy
is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and
might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in
heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is
in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be
blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
Revelation 5:12-13