Monday, November 10, 2008

Wanted Children

I read an article this morning that made the point (and it was making a point, not asking a question), "Should a baby ever be born who is not really, truly wanted?"

I almost spit out my coffee. Wanted? WANTED?

Should human life then, depend on human caprice?

Isn't it, cruelly, peer pressure at its earliest, its foulest? Don't we always tell our children not to base their self-worth on what other people think of them? Yet this bases their very reason for being on whether or not someone thought they were worth it. Wanted? Wanted by whom, why, for how long?

Isn't someone worthwhile because of who he is, rather than what other people want from him, want him to be, hope for him to be?

In the end, there is only One whose love never fails, whose plans are never mistakes. His wants are truly linked to our existance. His desire engendered us, even more than our parents' desires did. In His Self, our existance and His desire for our existance are truly one. The philosophy, "the parents' desire should determine the child's existance" is a cramped, small twisting of the truth of God's "let it be".

In the end, I suppose, it IS so that only really, truly wanted children should be born. The problem is, for their existance to be justified, it is not we who need to want them.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

5 comments:

Amber said...

I don't get it either. I've heard this before though too. And I've heard, "I wouldn't want to bring a child into this world if both parents wouldn't love the child" - because, yes, the birth parents are the only ones capable of loving the child, and if they don't then it is better to be dead. Um, right. *sigh*

I knew someone who had justified to herself getting an abortion if the child had some sort of birth defect, saying that while she thought she could take care of the child, she wasn't sure she could say the same of her family if something were to happen to her. So what happens if the child gets into an accident and has some sort of disability from that? Do you kill the child then because you're concerned that someone won't be able to care for her if something were to happen to you? Sheesh.

The arguments out there are bizarre and scary - I suppose that's one of the horrible side-effects of losing sight of God.

Emily (Laundry and Lullabies) said...

You're absolutely right. I haven't heard it stated quite like this, and Jess, your writing is powerful, especially the ending.

Anonymous said...

Amen

pdp1134 said...

This is Aunt Bonnie (I can't figure out what password I used for this, so I am using Uncle Michael's account. :-})
YOur words on this subjest are profound. Of course the true wanting is from The Father, The Creator. Our wanting is secondary to His will.
When I used to work in the hospital during my childbearing years, my heart would ache for the babies that women chose to kill by abortion. I had a miscarriage prior to each of my live births, and I just wished these women could understand what a gift the tiny person in their bodies was.
Hug your children, no matter how old they are and thank God for them.

sarah marie said...

What a great post, Jessica. I enjoy reading your thoughts.