Duality: Run Your List

Where do I begin?

Its been a while, so I have a few things on my mind that wanted to include in this entry. But I figure that since the election is only 5 days away, I'd hop on my medical/political soap box.

This one is for the ages.

When most folks finish reading this blog entry, they will probably shrug their shoulders. And keep it moving.

Some of you will silently mumble "Hallelujah" or "Amen." And keep it moving.

And the rest of you will become offended. Wonder who I think I am. Make a mental note of all the skeletons that you think are in my closet and go off to Twitter, Facebook....or Dunbar, and consume an unreasonable portion of precious time trying to justify your feelings.

I'm not judging anyone. But the truth applies to even the greatest among us.

So stop playing.

And get something from what I am about to say.

If you lived in this world for any reasonable amount of time, you've probably formed an opinion about abortion, one way or the other. So that you get a good understanding about my perspective on the situation let me quickly share my stance with you.

Personally, I think that the miracle of being pregnant and giving birth is not one everyone will be able to experience and I think it to be horribly arrogant to so easily dismiss it. It's not an option for me. And personally, if I had to offer advice, it would be to choose life.

But professionally, my only goal is to educate and inform them of their choices. And professionally, I have no dog in another woman's fight.

Simple as that.

And people will say, "Oh, what about "Thou shall not kill." Well, what about the other nine? Matter of fact, what about all the other things that the Bible forbids, that we do anyway?

Let me run my own list.

Fornication. --- check
Lust --- check
Greed --- check
False witness -- yup
Covetousness (that's "hating" to the folks that don't know) -- check

Technically, I've stolen things. And yes, taking supplies from work is stealing. Its called "industrial theft."

I'm sure I've disrespected my mother and father as various points in my life in different ways, shapes and forms. Its the only way to explain all the ass whippings I got growing up.

Violated the Sabbath? Yes. On night shift at Waccamaw Community Hospital. All the time.

Excessive anger.

Grudge holding.

Raise your hand if you pay 10% tithe every payday? I know there are some of you out there. I admit that I'm inconsistent. It means that I am effectively robbing God.

I am a sinner. Whose probably going to sin again.

But I've gotten better at this thing by and by...

Enough about me, though.

Now.

Run your list.

You don't have to share.

I just want you to have your own reference point for where I am coming from. God made us imperfect. We live in an imperfect world. I don't know about you. But its an everyday struggle for me to do my best by Him.

But back to this...

Don't get me wrong. People who use abortion as their primary form of birth control are not covered under this particular argument.

Nor is the patient who used to come to me on an almost monthly basis to get the morning after pill when I worked at the health department. By the 3rd time I saw her, I told her plainly that I had judged her insane for indiscriminately having unprotected sex. Because any woman who knows how to have a baby, also knows how to NOT have one. (You young college guys, with those bright futures ahead of you remember that when
these females act like it was an accident).

When President Obama endorsed gay marriage, the religious community was in an uproar.

And I get that.

But what these church folks need to get is that President Obama, every president before him, and every president after him, has to live with the same duality that every other human being on the face of this earth will struggle with before our time here is done.

We love the Lord. We live to serve.

But we also live in the flesh.

President Obama did NOT endorse gay marriage as an affront to God's doctrine. In my opinion, his endorsement of gay marriage took nothing away from who he is as a God-fearing man. It was from my perspective, merely part of the earthly oath of office he took to uphold the constitution of the United States and advocate for liberty and justice for all.

So if a Hispanic man, with a deep-voice, and a beard, wants to buy a white man with a deep-voice, and a beard, a diamond ring, stand up with him at the alter, kiss him in the mouth with tongue, then call that "marriage?" Cool. If the Hispanic man wants to put his white husband on his health insurance, adopt a little black baby girl, and pay a Japanese surrogate to try for a baby boy, then call that "family?" That's what's up.

Right or wrong?

They will have to figure that our one day in a major way.

But, you see, what they eat won't make me go #2. For real.

As a medical provider, my message to a gay teenager having unprotected sex is the same as what I would give to a heterosexual teenager having unprotected sex.

But the message to MY teenager, gay or straight, having unprotected sex might be delivered with fists attached.

My message to a 30 year old pregnant patient, with a good job who is considering abortion would be the same as the message I'd give to a 15 year old pregnant patient, on welfare who was considering abortion.

But my message to my pregnant daughter (of any age) who was considering abortion would be to tell her to erase the thought from her mind. And if she decides to keep the child, I would acknowledge the fact that my intervention would obligate me to be a major part of my grandchild's upbringing (although, shouldn't that be the case for grandparents, anyway?)

But if my daughter decided to go through with an abortion, the consequences are solely hers to bear because I know I'd shown her what I believed to be the right thing in the situation.

Indeed. I see the conflict from where I stand.

But in my purpose, I am steadfast in the belief that God has made prior arrangements for me to be able to have compassion for my fellow man despite their sin and still work for His glory. Had He not made those same arrangements for Jesus, where would any of us be? Where would I be?

But your salvation is between you and the Lord.  Not you, me, Blue Cross, Congress, Nicki Haley and the Lord.

Love is given in spite of...

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord...

#duality

Towanna