God of Wonders, God of Life

Regular readers will know that I have committed myself to offering all of my Lenten prayer, fasting and almsgiving to the pro-life cause this year in the hopes that my meager efforts might save a life, and our God of wonders might just have given me that opportunity today.

Last weekend when I busy promoting Roses for Our Lady at the pro-life spaghetti dinner to benefit the Women's Support Center here in Milwaukee, I had the good pleasure of meeting Mary Gilpin, the director of the Women's Support Center. She gave me a stack of her business cards to share with my clients at the WIC Clinic.

When Sharonda came in with her son Demetrius (not their real names, of course!), we had a lovely visit. This was the last time that Demetrius would come to the WIC Clinic for benefits since he would soon be five years old and WIC benefits end at that time. Demetrius was just a pure joy, smiling constantly and playing quietly while Sharonda and I talked about his health and eating habits. As the appointment was ending, I asked Sharonda if she had any other concerns today. She said, "Yes, actually, I do. I might be pregnant."

She went on to tell me that she has five children, Demetrius is her youngest (four sons, one daughter-just like me!) After he was born she had her tubes tied feeling that her time for having more children was over. She has not had a pregnancy test yet because her doctor told her it would be too early to tell for sure, but the worry is that because of her tubal ligation, this pregnancy may be ectopic, a danger to both mom and baby. She is praying that if she truly is pregnant that her baby will be in the uterus where he belongs and thus allow her to happily welcome another little one into her life, expected or not. But, her doctor advises abortion if baby would truly settle in her fallopian tubes.

In looking at WebMD to find out more about ectopic pregnancies I learned:

"Although there have been a few reported cases of women giving birth by cesarean section to live infants that were located outside the uterus, this is extremely rare. The chance of carrying an ectopic pregnancy to full term is so remote, and the risk to the woman so great, that it can never be recommended. It would be ideal if an ectopic pregnancy in the Fallopian tube could be saved by surgery to relocate it into the uterus. This concept has yet to become accepted as a successful procedure."

And with further snooping around the internet I found this story about a miracle baby that did survive an ectopic pregancy. This line left me gaping in amazement-the odds of delivering a full-term baby from an ectopic pregnancy is one million to one.

I asked Sharonda if I could share a resource with her, a place that could give her help, support and guidance regardless of the result of this possible pregnancy, and Sharonda very gratefully took a card for the Women's Resource Center and told me that she will be giving them a call.

Please join me in prayer for Sharonda...

God of wonders, God of life,

hold Sharonda and every expectant mother in your arms with the warm embrace that only Your love can provide. Offer her the reassurance of knowing that the risks and difficulties that come with motherhood are always more than incredibly worth it and that Your love will help her to overcome each and every trial which comes her way. Bring every bud of life growing within your daughters to full fruition. Be with the doctors who assist women in high-risk pregnancies,help them to use any and all medical advances that will save those precious babies whose early lives are at risk. Lord, you know that I am not an expert in medical care and can rarely find the right words to comfort others, but I thank you for the opportunity you gave me to share a pro-life resource with a woman in need. Sharonda and her little one are in Your hands Lord, do with them as You will. I trust in your mercy. I trust in your love.

Amen.