Where Lies The Difference? Is There One?

What is one of the ancient practices of the world that makes us cringe and fall back in horror? Child-sacrifice: that ancient tradition that many countries in B.C. as well as A.D. practiced. Why is it so horrific? Perhaps it’s the idea of an innocent child, who has no say in whether he/she can live or die, who cannot even fight for his/her life. They are cruelly killed – sacrificed to heathen gods; they go through innumerable pains and sufferings – things that we cannot even imagine. These children, ranging from the ages of new-born to – well, even to adult age were sacrificed to “please the gods.” The horrific ways in which these new-born children were killed is too gruesome for me to describe, but it was bloody and morbid. I cannot even imagine how they went through it. But this is my point:

Many sacrificed infants and babies to the gods…. We think that is horrific. Really, who would want to kill a baby? But it is happening everywhere all the time – all the time! This dreadful thing is, yes, abortion. Many babies are aborted because the mothers “do not want them” or because they “can’t afford them” or because it is a humiliation – a result of a circumstance they shouldn’t have gotten into anyways. But what is the ultimate point of why babies are aborted? To satisfy and please the agenda of the mother. This is no different, if you really think about it, than those people way back then sacrificing babies to please the gods. In a way, the mother is pleasing a god – Self. Martin Luther once said, “I have a great pope within me: Self.” When we do things to please ourselves, even when it is wrong, we are satisfying and pleasing our own selfish desires. This is wrong – really, truly wrong.

Abortion is no different than child-sacrifice. Why would it be? Because life does not begin until the baby leaves the womb? What grows that is not alive? How can a baby grow for nine months and not be alive? A brick, which is not alive, does not grow, but if you leave out in the wind and rain, it will become beaten down – this is a result of the weather – the brick itself does not grow or shrink by itself. If life begins at conception, then abortion is murder. If abortion is murder, then why does our country allow it to go on? Why does not the government do something to stop this wicked crime? These little infants, just like the ones sacrificed, do not have the strength, or even the sense to fight for their life. They have no say in the matter. The matter of life or death is decided for them by other human beings. This is injustice, this is cruelty and murder! If life does not begin at conception, then what about those little ones who sometimes survive abortion, and are left to die on the hospital floor? When the baby screams and cries, kicks its legs and arms, then they ought to know that it is alive. They cannot kill it – they have no right. But since we do know that life begins at conception, then they have absolutely no right to interfere with that baby’s life – unless it is to save it. (Note: I am not saying that all babies that survive abortion are left to die, but I am referring to the ones that do.)

I wonder, what are the doctors consciences like? Do they even have one? Does the sound of little children’s feet haunt them – and the mother alike? Whenever they hear a baby’s cry, are they filled with regret, with remorse? Or not? Do they just go on as if nothing happened? I wonder…

How wrong, how utterly wrong it all is! Is there a worse evil than this? O! the cries of the innocent must ring and shake the earth! What a sordid, filthy, and twisted culture we have! How can we mend this great evil? Or have we gone so far that it cannot be mended?

Who will speak up for the little ones?
Helpless and half-abandoned.
They've got the right to choose life
They don't want to lose,
I've got to speak up, won't you?

Equal rights, equal time, for the unborn children.
Their precious lives are on the line,
How can we be rid of them?
Passing laws, passing out
Bills and new amendments.
Pay the cost and turn about,
And face the young defendants.

Many come and many go,
Conceived but not delivered.
The toll is astronomical,
How can we be indifferent.

Little hands, little feet,
Tears for Him who made you.
Should all on earth forsake you now,
But He'll never forsake you.

Forming hearts, forming minds,
Quenched before awakened,
For so many deliberate crimes
The earth will soon be shaken.

[Lyrics to a song, “Little Ones By Phil Keaggy.] I’ve never heard this song, but the lyrics are wonderful.

O, please pray!

O How Sweet!

I've been thinking about ever so many things lately. But in particular about God's providence, His will, and his infinite grace and mercy. The year of 2009 began rather hard for me. I started building up many resolutions, and there were ever so many things that I wanted to do. I am talking about in terms of activities and things like that. However, I saw every single thing that I had planned to do, from January till May, completely dashed. This was because of my mother's ill-condition: she suffers greatly from adrenal exhaustion. Chloe and I had to commit ourselves to staying home a lot, and taking care of her. I had worked too hard on school in the autumn of 2008, so I was exhausted from that, and didn't feel ready to cope with the crisis: that is, accepting God's will or living in rebellion against Him. I knew that if I submitted, I would feel a sweet bliss. I knew that if I continued to rebel, I would be miserable and unhappy. I would find no solace or comfort in God's will when I rebelled against it. So, in late January, I decided to submit, but more because I was afraid of how I would feel if I didn't. Besides, mother's being pregnant again was exciting news for me. But then she lost the baby in early February.

After this the downfall of my plans really began to happen. Even though they were little, they meant a lot to me. But then I thought about all the lessons God had taught me in the past two miscarriages that mother had had. I had learned so much, and I would not take those babies back for anything, because of what I learned. Reflecting on this gave me greater insight into the blissful acceptance of God's will. Finally, I was able to whole-heartedly accept God's will. The idea of laying passive in his hand was so exciting to me, that whatever His will was, I was excited to do. Because whatever I do, and wherever I go will be to glorify God and not myself!

O! This realization is so incredibly sweet, and it leaves me in a state of such bliss and joyousness, that everyday with its disappointments could be counted with joy, if it were only for the sake of submitting with joy to God's will! And how comforting it is, that Romans 8:28 is so true, that everything works out for good, for those who love God and are called according to his will! To me, it is sublimity to rest in his providence. It fills me with wonder, and amazement, and complete and utter fascination that it tends to leave me in a stupor, or a reverie. And that reverie is so sweet that I could live in it forever. :)

Little Things

As a lot of you know, I tend to have a great passion for prayer, that sometimes subsides into a lack of trust in God's providence. Failure to trust in God's promises happens quite easily. "This is too little a thing to concern God." "God's got other stuff on his mind." When I say this, I defy the absolute sovereignty of God. If he is concerned about the lilies of the valley, and the fall of a sparrow, then surely he cares about my most insipid and whimsical desire. God's mind is never too full to notice the littlest thing happening on the earth or in the hearts of men. After all, it's all a part of God's plan.
I began thinking about this a few days ago, when something happened. Now this is not at all extraordinary. A great deal of things happen all the time, every minute of every day. But to me, one of millions and millions of people on the earth, it seemed a rather remarkable thing. As many of you know, the four girls (Chloe, me, Tirzah, and Olivia) share the attic room. At the very top of our stairs is a window facing south. Chloe and I usually sit on the floor beneath the window and do our school. The sun comes through quite conveniently, and so one day I was basking thus in the sun, with fleece blankets and pillows, feeling very lazy and quite like I deserved a rest. But really I didn't deserve anything. Come to think of it, I hadn't done hardly half of my school, and I had ever so much work to do. But really, I was so very tired and out of sorts. I wished very much for some poetry.... I love poetry, especially when I'm out of sorts. I then feel like Tennyson agrees with me.
But there were no poetry books within two feet of where I was positioned. I was very put out by this, because I really did want some sort of poetry--not that seemingly tiresome history book. Poetry, I thought, was just the thing right now. Poetry feeds my imagination--makes me think all sorts of splendid thoughts and ideas! O, I DO need it right now! But of course, I was much too lazy to get up and get it... After all... I was very tired...
The arrangement of our room is such that there is a bookcase right under the afore-mentioned window. It's a rather meager little thing, but it had my Elsie Dinsmore collection, Little House on the Prairie, and others. I languidly picked out a random book. It was Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carrol. How delightful, Lewis Carrol always did right such funny poetry! I disinterestedly opened it. On the first page was a poem. Just what I had wanted! But this gave me a divine revelation (ask anyone... I'm really into those these days): I was being so lazy, and slothful, and I could have jumped up and gotten some poetry immediately, or better yet, finished my school and THEN read some. But I felt like my immediate need was poetry. The first thing that rushed into my mind was, "And God answered this selfish wish?" I don't think it would have been quite right to have prayed, "Please Lord, you know my weakness right now... I can't get the book. But I pray that you would send a sibling up to get it, or bring it to me that I might enjoy myself a little." That is full of selfishness--yes, exactly what I was feeling. But yet, He did answer the prayer. Shortly after I read the poem, I began reading the book itself to Olivia. And then I finished my school.
But this came on my mind--I don't know why God had directed my hand to pick that book, and why there had been a poem in the beginning of that particular book, and I don't know why I was granted a selfish wish, but I do know that a great many thoughts proceeded from this extraordinary thing.
Nothing, not one little thing, is too tiny to take to the Lord in prayer. He loves us, and he hears us, and he answers us one way or another. Our prayers are naturally selfish... If we are worms grovelling in the dust at the feet of the Almighty, then our prayers stink. But if we are asking for a selfish thing (like I was) then we should pray that God would redirect our desires. Or of course, we could just tell ourselves that we are stupid and get up and do the thing ourselves. But that's not my point. *reaches a sticky spot* um... I don't know exactly how to word this. It is my belief that we ought to take EVERYTHING before the Lord, no matter how great or small. I'm beginning to think this doesn't make sense.... But I guess what I'm trying to say is that we all have selfish ambitions, and that our prayers are naturally selfish, but no matter what, we need to pray about the little things too. I have found personally that a result of this is implicit faith and trust in God. When I cease to pray for awhile, my trust decreases. But I think praying is a way that we tend our garden of trusting in God. C. H. Spurgeon said, "I never pray for more than five minutes... but I never go five minutes without praying." Now, I thought, How in the world does he find so many things to pray for? The other half in me answered, How do you find ever so many things to think about?
As many things as there are to think about, there should be to pray about.

Did that make sense? Here's one of my favorite hymns to express my thoughts more completely:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

Patriotic Sentiments

I was just "reminiscing" as some people call it, on a time a few months back, when I was in the most beloved and honoured (by me) town (or not so town-ish) Hickville. I remember that around sunset, Rachel and I "took a walk through the wilderness" as we call it. As we were coming back, we got a rather patriotic feeling within us, or at least I did, and we decided to belt out America's National Anthem. Alright.... Please don't think I'm strange when I say what I was feeling at the time, because I feel like I've gotta tell somebody, but I don't know which somebody to tell, (so why not tell everybody?) and besides, I wouldn't be able to put it in these exact words that describe the feeling as I am about to do now.... Wow, that was a really wordy sentence!!

So, we belted out the National Anthem. We really sang it out, as there was no one to listen but God and the birds around us. We looked across the vast land around us, so desolate, maybe, but so free, and so beautiful in the setting sun. What made the song more astounding, the view around us more spectacular, and being in the place itself more wonderful was the knowledge we had that we have a God, a heavenly Father in heaven, who is supreme over everything, who is all-powerful and in complete control of any little thing that happens. And if he cares for the life of a sparrow, how much moreso the life of his children! And also this thought.... the hymn O Worship The King says in the last verse, "Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!" If he is all those things, then he certainly will care for us in times of trouble or should disaster strike! Malachi 4:2 says, "But for those who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings." I feel that "we the people" have been very blessed, and have felt God's grace and mercy in giving us, and allowing us to live and flourish, in this free country.

Some people say that we don't have a very free nation... A good friend went to England this past year. She said that a homeschooling mother there said to her, "The law of England states that a superviser must be within our home to watch how we treat and raise our children. They never warn us when they come. Don't let, like we have, the simple freedoms that you posess slip through your hands, because we look and depend on you." I don't know about you, but when I heard that my mind bounced... so to speak. I almost got up and slammed my hand on the table saying, "That's it! First I'm going to the American Government and then I'm going to Parliament to do something!" If only it were that simple! Many of you might have read a post I wrote a few months ago entitled "pray!" I was about to say that the only way we can help our country is by being some great person of state that has great influence on our government. However, I was promptly reminded that, again, we can, and we WILL pray. Prayer is the greatest thing that we can do for our country.

But may I be so bold (in a good way, of course) to urge my brothers and sisters in Christ to pray without ceasing, and to never, ever be complacent! I'm not saying you are, but remember how many thousands of people died for a freedom that they had not yet obtained in the late 1700's! Remember how many sacrifices they made, and how hard they worked, and how constantly the fought for a freedom and a liberty and a country that they could call their own! And just think, after all that they had suffered to make this, our nation America, and after the thousands upon thousands who had died (not even knowing the end result), just think how ungrateful it would be, how entirely careless and thoughtless and defiant it would be to take all those sacrifices for granted, and to stand complacently by while this our country, one Nation under God, reaches a crisis! How in the world can we do that? We must not, and we cannot, stand passively and complacently by and watch the show.

So pray! And watch! And never be passive! (I would greatly appreciate it if y'all would help sharpen me and remind me to do the same thing.)

I feel so much better after saying all this.... :D

Pray!!

I was recently reading some articles about Barak Obama vs. John McCain, as well as watching some videos that a friend sent me. When I read and watched, my burning passion for my country was inflamed within my mind, and I went crazy with the desire (and that seems like a belittling word compared to this intense feeling I have) to do something for my country. I was talking to my friend Olivia Howard at the time, and I expressed this urge. I cannot very well describe it, but I will try the best I can. I felt a burning, raging passion in the depths of my soul .... A strong sensation that something must be done! I felt helpless. I felt insignificant and insipid. (I felt like nothing, which really is true! I am but dust!) Of course I have no political influence on anything or anyone least of all the government... I cannot rebuild Wall Street, I cannot do anything about the terrorists, or the war in Iraq. Here are some things I said to Olivia about it:

"I just yearn to do it SOO badly! I feel like America is looking on towards the cliff and plunging unknowingly towards the edge."

"Of course I wouldn't want to do this (reffering to those things I listed up there) but... I wish it could be done and if there was anything I could do to promote it then I would but what is it?"

"What is it that poor insipid people whom no one cares about can do for their country?"

"I don't know," she replied.

"YOU DON'T KNOW?????" I said, as though I rather expected she had a solution for me... But then something dawned upon me. I thought that in my mind I saw a faint streak of light. It grew stronger and stronger, as truth always does. A feeble peace began to enter my mind. I said to Olivia:

"The answer is everywhere. When we don't have influence on the governemnt or politics... Then—and even if we did—we pray. Because even the prayers of poor insipid creatures reach Him who sits in the heavens and laughs. Yet he hears our desperate pleas that come straight from a heart loyal to King and country! And what comfort we have that even if devestation befalls our country then he has ordained it and will make a way out for his people... For, 'I have never seen his children begging for bread', from Psalm 37."

Then the tables reversed. Instead of me encouraging her, it was she encouraging me. My faith began to sink. I felt like I was in a state of inertitude. I began to be afraid of everything. "What would become of us if our country became devastated? What would happen?" But she reminded me, "Pray...! Put your desire for your country upon your Lord, and he will give you an overflowing peace about it... The prayers of the children of God are not neglected."

This once more relieved me... But allow me to encourage ALL of my brothers and sisters in Christ to pray and to never cease watching!

The things that I have said may seem drastic and dramatic, but it was really what I was feeling... And I know that I might have seemed a little strange in this post... but.... and... Well, that's it I suppose...... As I said to Olivia,

"And...
And...
And...
*sobs*"