Sometimes Miracles Hide

In the thirty-eight years since Roe v. Wade was decided, over 50 million abortions have been performed. According to at least one source, using estimates based on data from the Guttmacher Institute, “At some point in 2010 -- 37 years removed from the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision -- a doctor in the United States performed the nation’s 53 millionth legal abortion.” That’s more than the number of citizens in the entire state of California, which stood at 37.25 million in the latest census. It’s also more than the population of South Africa, estimated at just under 50 million.

Most of you, I’m sure, have heard me tell the story of the doctor who told my dad after I was born, “You never have to worry about this happening again. We can now detect these children in the womb.”
“And repair the problem?” asked my dad.
“No,” the doctor replied, “Terminate the pregnancy.”
Of course, Dad quickly made sure that this doctor was no longer assigned to my care. As he put it, I’d be better off being cared for by someone who didn’t think I’d be better off dead.But the sad fact is, while there are a number of wonderful pro-life individuals in the medical field -- and I happen to know several -- that is not an uncommon position. Many who would never dream of killing their own unborn child -- or performing an abortion procedure -- would nevertheless insist it’s not their place to say that another woman shouldn’t be able to kill her unborn child.
While I was blessed to have parents who were adamantly pro-life, others are not so fortunate in that sense. One of my favorite pro-life advocates is Gianna Jessen. For those of you who may not know, Gianna’s mother underwent a saline abortion when she was 7.5 months pregnant, but against the odds, Gianna survived. Today she is a powerful spokeswoman for those who don’t survive.
In the early 1990s, a song hit the airwaves called “Sometimes Miracles Hide.” I was privileged to meet the man who recorded (and co-wrote) the song, Bruce Carroll. Here’s an excerpt of the lyrics:

The call came unexpected
The doctor had bad news
Some tests came back and things weren’t right
He said, “You’re going to have to choose
I’ll wait a week for your decision”
Then the words cut like a knife:
“I’m sure everyone will understand
If you want to end its life”
Though they were badly shaken
They just had no choice
’Cause they knew God creates no accidents
And they were sure they heard His voice saying
Sometimes miracles hide
And God will wrap some blessings in disguise
And you may have to wait this lifetime
To see the reasons with your eyes
’Cause sometimes miracles hide

It is my earnest prayer that someday this nation will come to recognize the miracle of all life.