Every day of our lives we're bombarded with images of what perfection looks like--beauty which is rarely attained, the next best gadget on the market, another college degree, that gorgeous home we cannot afford, vacations in exotic places.
If something is broken, we fix it.
If something is slightly old, we get a new one.
There is not much we cannot fix or make better than it once was.
We're constantly striving for that perfect existence.
Wrinkles?
We do something about it. Growing old gracefully has become a thing of the past.
We fix the problem.
Our car starts getting a little older (even though it still runs perfectly fine), and we need a new model. Our neighbor, for example, has a sister who routinely discards all of her house furniture every three years. Out with the old, in with the new! We're conditioned to not be satisfied with anything but the latest, greatest. The word "old" is increasingly having a shorter life span.
So...we do something about it.
We fix the problem. We buy a new car.
Our house starts feeling a wee bit cramped (even though we have way more space than most families in the world), and we decide that we definitely need a larger one.
So we do something about that too.
We simply fix the problem by going out and buying a larger, more expensive home.
Our culture, our society, our way of life...it all makes it so terribly hard to go against the grain. We live in a day and age where the bar is set so high--have more, look better, be smarter, and in all things, aim for perfection.
Last year 6000 parents heard the words, "The baby in your womb has Down syndrome."
Ninety percent of those children were aborted. Some statistics put that percentage a little higher at 91-93%!
More than 5,400 of those 6000 babies never took their first breathe. Even though those babies would absolutely choose life if they could, if they had a voice...they are denied it! In the eyes of the world, they are just not good enough. Imperfect beings.
Our society struggles to live with imperfections, doesn't it?
How does a less-than-perfect child look to the crazy world we live in?
Very sadly, most times, that child simply has no place.
And so, as in all things, the "problem" is simply fixed.
Life is snuffed out. Terminated.
Imperfections are just too hard to deal with. Too uncertain. Too time consuming, Too uncomfortable.
We wonder....
What will become of the child?
Who will take care of them?
How could we possibly put our family through this?
What about our other children?
What will people think about us?
How can we even parent a child like that?
Life is ended before it has even been given a chance.
Just like that. For over 90% of these special children.
This month is National Down Syndrome Awareness month.
Today I come begging, pleading, and imploring every single person who reads this post....
PLEASE, GIVE THEM A CHANCE!
Whether it's a recent Down syndrome diagnosis, or someone whose heart is being stirred to adopt one of these angels, please give them a chance!
They will amaze you.
They will far exceed your expectations.
They will love you like there is no tomorrow.
They will give you a fresh understanding of unconditional love.
They will fill your home with joy, and your love tank will be full to overflowing.
They will give you a new, sweeter perspective of life.
Your arms will never be empty.
You will smile when they smile.
They are imperfectly perfect. Created by a loving God who does all things well.
The longer I parent these two girls, the more I am understanding something. God's ideas of perfection and man's ideas of perfection are so vastly different. The world sees things one way, but the Almighty Father sees things entirely differently. These girls ARE perfect. We don't need to change a single thing to make them more perfect than they already are. He handcrafted them to be just who they are. In the eyes of our God who never makes mistakes, they are His masterpiece--lovingly created in the womb, beautifully sculptured, and uniquely designed to be just who they are.
God's design can never be altered. The works of His hands can never be changed. Some things should never, and can never, be "fixed."
If only the whole world knew.
My God never makes mistakes. Children with Down syndrome have such a special place in the world. Anyone raising them can attest to the fact that they are just special. So, so special.
Just give them a chance! Please.
Thanks for the stunning pics, my wonderful, endearing, handsome husband. You rock!
2 sweet thoughts from friends:
What beautiful girls! They are absolutely precious. What a lucky mommy you are! Enjoy:)
Right now I am watching a segment on the news about the new blood test for mothers.
I feel that many women will be pressured into having abortions, with the test being so easy.
Kids with special needs are blessings.
After following RR for over a year I have come across so many families of kids with DS. They love those children so much.
I have been advocating for a boy with trisomy 18 and a girl with trisomy 13 on RR. I didn't know about those. The community for trisomy 13/18 is very close. Most of those families are pro-life. Many kids with trisomy 13 or 18 have more severe needs than those with trisomy 21. The community is generally very pro-life.
I wish that the world would see people who have handicaps as people who deserve respect and love.
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