The Whose-Who of "Choice"?

I had the very disturbing, in fact, depressing opportunity of visiting our county's department of Social Services office last week. From the moment I entered this brand new state -of -the- art office I felt like a "bad-guy". Although the room was huge and well appointed, dividing the space between 'us' and 'them' was a glass barrier all the way to the ceiling. In order to talk to 'them' we had to speak through a small vent in the glass wall.  All over the walls were bulletin boards with glossy posters proclaiming our "rights" to:  food, healthcare, education, counseling- you name it. Young mothers came and went, speaking through the little vent, requesting more money and "free" services for their children.

What bothered me most was one poster in particular. It asked; "Are you pregnant? Confused? Scared?" and encouraged telling someone you trust. It informed us about the safe surrender law in California. It is legal here to surrender your newborn baby to any emergency room hospital employee (even the janitor I wondered?) within 72 hours of his birth, with no questions asked. You might even be allowed to reclaim the child within 14 days (I assume that is if one of 'them' deems you trustworthy).  At the very bottom of the poster this appeal was made: "A trashcan or dumpster is NEVER a choice!"

On the surface this law seems so right; so noble. Please understand that I support encouraging women NOT to throw their babies in dumpsters. What's bothering me is this:  society teaches (by legalization) that it is an acceptable "choice" to throw babies in dumpsters as long as they are removed from their mother's wombs through surgically induced death. And I'm sure one could get a referral for an abortion from this very same office.  'They' are speaking out of both sides of their mouths!  "The dumpster out behind the hospital is alright for baby corpses but please don't discard them in the public area. Only the 'Doctors' are permitted to throw them away." Or, to put it another way: 'They' may toss babies in the trash but 'we' may not! Makes me wonder...would it more acceptable for unwanted babies in Haiti to be tossed into the rivers to drown if it were done by a "professional" tosser?  God help us!

The next day I read Psalm 12

Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
  for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
  with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.


May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
  the tongue that makes great boasts,
those who say, "With out tongue we will prevail,
  our lips are with us; who is master over us?"


"Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
  I will now arise, says the Lord;
  I will place him in the safety for which he longs."
The words of the Lord are pure words,
  like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
  purified seven times.


You, O Lord, will keep them;
  you will guard us from this generation forever.
On every side the wicked prowl,
  as vileness is exalted among the children of man.


What a sad but lovely contrast between the double speaking  of the wicked as highlighted above and the words of the Lord which are "pure like silver refined in a furnace...purified seven times".

God please grant each of us, your servants and true lovers of children, opportunity to meet and help the poor.  Open our hearts and our homes to help in whatever way we can. Use us Lord to help our sisters in their times of trouble. And thank you for keeping us and freeing us from the clutches of the enemy of our souls.

 "You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man." 

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