It’s a Wonderful Life — Don’t Terminate It!
By Tom Stolle
Life begins at conception. Think about this: What if the person who had the most positive impact on your life had never been born?
You would still be you, but not the “you” shaped by your experiences with this other person. There is so much you wouldn’t have learned and so much you wouldn’t have experienced.
I think about my son Jimmy. I think about the fantastic things I’ve learned from him — what it means to love, what commitment looks like, the joy of giving, and so much more. I could go on and on. My life is deeper, richer, and more meaningful because God gave Shelley and me our son Jimmy.
John Lovin, Crossroads Community Bible Church, Laytonsville, proudly holds his Maryland/Delaware Baptists sign during the 2024 Maryland March for Life. (Photo by Sharon Mager)
The impact of one person on my life has been incredible. This is a person who can’t talk—a person who will need care due to significant developmental disabilities for the rest of his life. My son has changed my life, not just for the better, but for the WAY BETTER! I’m a better husband, father, and person because of the impact of a young man who some in society would say has little value. My son is more precious to me than all the riches on this earth.
Think about it. We all have a Jimmy in our lives—someone who has profoundly changed us. Picture in your mind the person who has most deeply impacted you. Now, imagine that person is not just gone but was never born. They were conceived and existed inside the womb, but that life was terminated through an elective abortion.
Now, imagine the impact lost on humanity due to all the individuals who were never born. In the United States, more than 1,025,000 lives were terminated through abortion in 2023.
We will never know their potential impact. These people matter to God, and they should matter to us. By the way, if that person you pictured was your biological mother or father and an abortion terminated their life, you wouldn’t have ever been born!
Remember that God created all people. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous — how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.” Psalm 139:13-15 (NLT)
God gave us life. God has purposes for us. It is not for us to decide to terminate a life because it’s inconvenient or doesn’t fit our agenda. God is the giver of life. That gift should be cherished and respected.
These babies have a right to life!
On March 27, many will gather in Annapolis to participate in the Maryland March for Life. I will be there.
Why am I marching? I’m marching because I believe God is the creator of life. As believers, we should seek to honor God’s creation, not destroy it.
Will you consider joining me at the Maryland March for Life? It’s an opportunity to raise our voices to defend the most vulnerable of all human beings: the unborn.
I hope to see you there!
Tom Stolle serves as the executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware.