Editor’s note: Today we’re excited to welcome Heather Anderson Renshaw to the ranks of New Evangelizers bloggers!
Written in honor of May the 6th both this and every year, past and present …
Today I celebrate and thank God again for the miracle of life. Today I am glad that I did not become a statistic. You see, today, more than any other, I am grateful for a young woman’s supernaturally courageous “yes,” – her fiat – to choose life in the face of adversity.
Having now experienced the joys and struggles of five pregnancies, I cannot begin to imagine the agony, the pain, and the sacrificial courage it took to give a baby away – to never snuggle her neck, never kiss her toes, never breathe in her baby smell – all because this young woman knew she could not be the best steward of the gift of life God had given her. Make no mistake – at any time, she could have said, “This is too hard. I can’t do it,” “This is my body, and I want it back,” “This is just a blob of tissue,” or, “I feel alone and unloved,” … but she didn’t. I believe she was able to persevere because she wasn’t alone in her courage. She had others – people who encouraged her, who supported her materially and spiritually, who prayed with and for her – so that she could, slowly but surely, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, month by month – CHOOSE LIFE for the baby growing inside her.
That growing baby, if you haven’t guessed yet, was me. My birth mother could have aborted me at any time. My time in the womb was post-1973, after Roe v. Wade, after thousands – if not millions – of babies had already died.
I honestly don’t spend a whole lot of time dwelling on “what ifs;” that’s too much energy that needs to be expended elsewhere (did I mention that I have five children??). Yet, on this day, I still like to reflect on my circumstances and encourage others to consider their own lives.
Do you know that YOUR LIFE is a gift, a miracle? It is!! Do you thank God for *your* life and the lives of those around you? Take time today to do so!! Do you – really and truly – foster a culture of life in your words *and* deeds? Please pray about this. Your affirming comment – your loving touch – could make all the difference in the world to someone today. So go forth today, dear friends, being salt and light to those you meet, and CHOOSE LIFE!!
And … enjoy my birthday. Because of a courageous young woman’s “fiat,” I know I will.
Copyright 2015, Heather Anderson Renshaw
This article first appeared at RealCatholicMom.com in May 2015.
Heather Anderson Renshaw
Heather Anderson Renshaw is a wife, mother (x5) and on-fire revert to the Catholic faith. After a profound conversion experience, Heather found her way back to Mother Church, where she and her family serve in various capacities. She is an author (All Things Girl Truth For Teens), blogger (Real Catholic Mom, Blessed is She) national speaker, radio producer and co-host (The Visitation Project), event organizer (Catholic Women Rejoice, Called to Love), nap-craver, coffee drinker, and laundry avoider. Heather has special devotions to Our Lady, Divine Mercy, and the Holy Spirit. She prays that all God's children will come to know and appreciate the unparalleled joy of being Catholic 24/7, 365. Connect with Heather via Facebook, Twitter, andInstagram.
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