Where are youth at when it comes to life issues? LFL chapters or
federations in Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri, have sponsored
essay contests to help find out! Diane Albers, President of LFL of
Missouri, says, "it is exciting to see what these [students] have to
say with their entries and to see that their beliefs come straight
from the Bible, expressed with a sincerity that is a pleasure to
view." Here are selected quotes from several winning entries:
"In [Isaiah 44:24], God conveys the importance of every human
being, even those yet unborn. Here the Lord of the Heavens, who laid
out earth and sky, tells us that He has also formed each and every
one of us, from the tiniest cell. All the beauty of creation is
placed on the same level with the magnificence of the human embryo.
This tiny life, set in motion by God’s own hand, must be protected,
just as every life must be." Adam Booher, 12th Grade,
Lutheran High School, Springfield, Illinois
"God will help you. He is always with you! Suffering is not the
end of the world. God allows suffering so we can learn from it. ‘No
discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on,
however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those
who have been trained by it.’ (Hebrews 12:11) Where can you turn for
help? You can ask your pastor or a doctor for help. Also, there are
a lot of answers on Christian web sites. But first of all, our
problems would probably all be solved if we read and followed the
Word of God . . . God has a plan for each one of us. Therefore, we
should not abuse, but cherish what God has given to us . . .
LIFE!" D’Laney McPadden, 8th Grade, Zion Lutheran
School, Mayer, Minnesota
"Adoption is a wonderful option for women who may not be in the
position to raise a child by themselves. Young, pregnant girls
should know that adoption is a great choice because teenage girls
cannot afford and are not ready to support a baby. Some families
cannot have children. My aunt was not given the chance to have
children, so she adopted two kids to raise as her own. I have no
idea what my life would be like without my cousins. As Christians,
we can also support pro-life efforts of organizations such as
Lutherans For Life. Through voting, we can actively support
politicians who are pro-life and work for the rights of unborn
children. Another way to help is to pray for those who work to stop
abortion. God has created all of us magnificently and has given each
of us such a huge purpose to carry out here on earth. We should not
take anything He has given us for granted, especially the greatest
blessing of all: LIFE!" Emily Clark, 8th Grade, St.
John’s Lutheran School, Norwood Young America, Minnesota
"My mom has Multiple Sclerosis. The doctors say that one day stem
cell research might be able to cure her disease. She is very happy
about this, but not if it concerns embryonic stem cells. She would
rather take shots and have a baby be born and grow up to perform
God’s will than have that baby die to fight her disease. God has a
plan for everyone, even the little unborn babies! ‘For I know the
plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘ plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ (Jeremiah
29:11) When scientists kill an unborn baby through stem cell
research they are ruining God’s plan for that baby!" Brittany
Erdman, 8th Grade, St. John’s Lutheran School, Norwood
Young America, Minnesota
"Imagine you’re getting ready to have an abortion. What are you
thinking? Are you thinking ‘no one will ever know,’ or ‘everything
will be okay now’? You could also be thinking, ‘why in the world am
I doing this’? I am against abortion. Why would you want to kill an
innocent baby that had nothing to do with his or her conception? . .
. One doctor I have read about has performed about 75,000 abortions.
Many doctors say they are helping women. How would you be helping
someone if you’re killing a beautiful person that the mother and
father created? . . . God says in Proverbs 6:16-19 that there are
six things that He hates, seven that are detestable to him. One of
the things He hates is ‘hands that shed innocent blood.’ . . . There
are always other options instead of abortion. You could put your
baby up for adoption. Some people can’t have children so they would
be overjoyed to have yours." Afton Wolter, 7th Grade,
St. John’s Lutheran School, Norwood Young America, Minnesota
"Life is a special gift; a gift from God. From the time a mother
is pregnant to the time a baby dies, he/she is a blessing to life.
Unfortunately many people choose to ignore those facts and kill the
innocent baby by the way of abortion, just because some hospitals
and clinics say it’s okay to use abortion. But despite their
approval, God still says abortion is wrong. Isn’t that reason
enough? . . . From the very beginning God knows about His precious
child: his/her name, address, future career, and date of death. That
means two things: the forming baby is surely a human being, and that
God sends His children down to Earth for a reason, not just for fun,
but to spread His Word and do the good deeds He has in mind."
Eddie Godbold, 6th Grade, St. John Lutheran School,
Ellisville, Missouri
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