Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you….”
Mae was a young wife and mother. She had given birth to one son, and two years later found herself pregnant again. She and her husband were thrilled about their expanding family. But a few months into the pregnancy, her doctor told her there were complications. “Mae, if you don’t abort this baby, you will likely die,” he said with finality.
Devasted by the news, she weighed her options, How could she knowingly snuff out the life of the little person hiding in her womb? She knew she was carrying more than a “cluster of cells,” more than “potential life,” more than a “part of her anatomy.” She recognized she was carrying a baby. One distinct tiny life.
But what about her husband? Her son? What would happen to them if she died? What was God telling her to do?
She sought counsel from her father, a Church of the Brethren minister. He responded unequivocally, “Don’t abort this child. God has a purpose for him.” That was all the confirmation Mae needed. She carried that baby to full term, and delivered a healthy, 10 lb. 6 oz. boy. With no complications.
When God called Jeremiah to speak prophetically to the people of Judah, Jeremiah at first resisted. He felt too young, too inexperienced, too inadequate. How could he ever be God’s spokesperson? But God assured his reluctant messenger. God told him he had a purpose for his life even before he was born. Before he was even born! Imagine that. No matter how insignificant Jeremiah may have felt, he entered the world with a specific purpose.
So did Mae’s son. So did you. And so did I.
Every single life carries significance. It doesn’t matter the length of life. My little cousin, Julia, only lived two weeks, but she greatly impacted our family. And scripture says the righteous still bear fruit in old age (Psalm 42:19). Significance doesn’t lie in notoriety or accomplishments. It’s not dependent on human assessment—including our own. Our Creator designed each of us with breath-taking importance.
Back to Mae. I’m so glad she didn’t abort her baby. He grew up to be a man who follows God with all his heart. A man who became my husband and the father of my children. A man who lives a significant life.