Speaking of abortion …

All the uproar on social media this week over the Kermit Gosnell trial has kept the whole abortion issue heavy on my mind, and frankly, thank goodness for social media. Because the mainstream news outlets certainly aren’t talking about it. I checked CNN.com. Nothing. I checked Google News. Nothing. I checked BBC.com. Nothing.

Unbelievable.

But I don’t actually want to keep talking about abortion. What I want to talk about it someone who made a different choice. Because there is always, ALWAYS another choice.

My friends Jason and Kristin are two of the strongest, most courageous people I know.

A little over a year ago their life took a major and completely unexpected turn. God asked them to embark on a journey of faith that would not in any way be easy.

They went in for a routine ultrasound with baby #4 and were given the following news:

We learned this week that our next child has not developed legs…and their right arm is only developed to the elbow…and the one hand on the developed left arm…is split. (You can follow their incredible story on their blog.)

Besides the fact that life as they knew it would never be the same, they were taking this journey practically alone. In fact only five family lines in the entire world could even begin to truly understand what they were going through.

I first heard the news about their baby the day after we had our first ultrasound with our baby boy and as I read it, I dissolved into tears. The apparent arbitrariness of it hit me like a ton of bricks. It so easily could have been us seeing an abnormal ultrasound instead of them. I was torn with this awful mix of sympathy and guilt. Sympathy for what my friends were going through and guilt because I was so glad it wasn’t me that God asked this of.

But as I have watched Jason and Kristin accept and even embrace this new reality, I have been totally blown away by their faith. I have watched them walk forward with complete trust and dependence on God, even praising Him for the awesome privilege of raising Dillon. They have fully involved their children in the journey, helping them to understand what a gift Dillon is.

It’s truly amazing to watch.

What struck me about their story, though, is that abortion was never even a question on their minds. Because if I’m being completely honest, when I put myself in their shoes, I think my fear would have caused me to, at the very least, have a fleeting, momentary thought of abortion as a way out. And I’m ashamed to say this. I know how awful an admission like that is. And how wrong and selfish. Perhaps this is why God asked Jason and Kristin to carry this and not me. I don’t know. All I know is that I am in awe of their faith. I respect them so much and hope that I can exhibit that kind of faith and trust one day.