Jim Langley: Babies — Planned or Not | Homes & Lifestyle


On Sept. 7, 1985, as “later in life” newlyweds, my wife, Janet, and I gave little thought to having children. We were in love with the Lord and in love with each other, and were quite satisfied with our new life after meeting each other in a local church body a year earlier.

Then a year after marruage, we were blessed in a life-changing move to Santa Barbara, and in God’s perfect timing two years hence with an unanticipated adoption opportunity.

One evening after our worship service, Judy and Ron Snyder kindly confronted if we would be interested in adopting a newborn baby girl. Almost immediately we looked at each other and said “Yes.”

Unfortunately, that and a subsequent adoption opportunity both fell through due to circumstances beyond our control. That’s when we realized God was telling us to seriously look into adopting, and we started the open adoption process with Doug Donnelley, a well-known local adoption attorney .

Six months later we were the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl born at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. Faith has been a wonderful blessing ever since. Thirty-two years later we still know that she was a “gift from God” and we’ ll always be there for her and we know she will be there for us.

There were obviously many involved in the adoption process, and it all started with wise counsel for the young lady who realized she needed to give birth to her first child.

Babies — planned or not — are human beings no matter what term some may prefer to use! From conception they are future boys and girls, men and women — all of great value to society, and they deserve the opportunity to not only survive but to thrive and contribute to God’s glory.

If God wants to take them early, that’s His business. But that is not something that any corporate entity or government body should be influencing or demanding. In my opinion, the US Supreme Court was warranted in striking down Roe v. Wade.

Going forward, my prayers will be focused on the many organizations (pro-life centers) that will continue to support those men and women who will certainly deal with unplanned pregnancies in this new political environment.

Here in California, I trust that many eyes will be opened and nonprofit organizations like our own Network Medical will be able to provide even greater professional assistance that will lead to more viable births than we’ve seen in the past.

I’m puzzled in hearing stories that some opponents to life are actually celebrating baby showers for their future child, while advocating the termination of pregnancies for the masses.

There was a time when I took no issue at all in Roe v. Wade. That was before I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord in 1984. Gradually I realized there was something drastically wrong with taking the life of an unborn child and quickly came to understand the significance of the sanctity of every life.

We live in times where many have departed from what God’s Word presents as righteous appropriate behavior.

In Romans 1:21, the Apostle Paul explains “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts became darkened.”

We need to return to God’s Word and learn to truly celebrate and defend life!

Passages to Ponder

» Matthew 19:13-15

» John 12:35-37

» Romans 1:32

» Ephesians 1:4-6

» Galatians 5:19-21

— Jim Langley has been writing for more than 30 years while working as a life and health insurance agent in Santa Barbara. In recent years, his passion has turned to writing about his personal relationship with God, and his goal is to encourage others to draw near to Him as well. As a longtime member of CBMC of Santa Barbara (Christian Business Men’s Connection), he started writing Fourth Quarter Strategies columns in 2014, and he now reaches an international audience through the CBMC International devotional Monday Manna. He can be contacted at [email protected] for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

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