February 16, 2015

I will warn readers right off the bat that today’s Mission Moment isn’t cheerful.  The work we do is full of hope, but it’s also full of challenges and suffering.  Last week a young woman in our Maternity Program miscarried.  She’d only been with us for a day or two and was still in the first trimester of her pregnancy (she thinks about seven weeks).  Naturally, it was rough, particularly for the frightened teenaged mother, but also for my staff.  Aside from the emotional impact and the profound sense of helplessness, there was also the grim reality of our physicality—quite literally blood, sweat, and tears.

I am extraordinarily proud of the compassionate and professional manner in which all involved staff responded.  I am grateful for the prayers that were said and for those who held this young woman’s hand (both literally and figuratively) throughout that painful experience.  I am grateful that we were able to keep this young woman with us after her return from the hospital, so that our staff can help her heal both physically and emotionally before moving on.

The whole experience got me thinking.  No one doubted that we were mourning the death of a human life that afternoon.  At seven weeks, no one seemed placated by the notion that perhaps this wasn’t really “a person.” Quite the contrary.  Every tear, every pang of empathy, and every gesture of compassion made infinitely clear what we knew to be true—this young woman lost her child that day. It’s befuddling to me that a mere change in context or a willful decision seems to change this fact for too many well-meaning people.  Naturally, it’s not lost on me that this tragedy occurred mere weeks after the national March for Life in our nation’s capital—during which over half a million people marched to end abortion in our country (and received almost zero coverage by secular media).  I love this ministry, and I remain deeply grateful for the grace that led me here.  We have a long way to go.

Yours in Christ—

Michael