"Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him." Psalm 127:3 NIV

If one looks at everyday life as facets and factors comprising statistics, there is always at least one exception to the trend that emerges. This in one of those from life's darker side:

Our culture ha become such that even the very young now have to make life and death decisions, often times alone. This the case with many young girls in the U.S, who seek and receive abortions, some as young as 12 years of age, who are still children in and of themselves.

Our young ladies, ages 15 years and younger are more than twice as likely to choose or be strongly advised to abort their pregnancies as are those ages 15 and older. If you were break down all the factors of race, metropolitan vs rural, income level and others, it tends to muddy the fact that these things go well beyond the demographics and further into our country's present moral situation and attitudes.

If we can simply look at those 12 to 15 year olds who are having abortions (from the statistics of Alpha Pregnancy Resource Center - AZ), their tendency to terminate their pregnancies are twice as high as those ages 16 thru 19. This result comes from the outside pressures of their boyfriends (#1 reason) or by their mother's interaction or decision (#2 reason), or medical reasons (#3 reason), or all three for choosing abortion over life.

Of course, the youngest of these also fall under the authority of child services, but the vast majority of them choose abortion. At this young age, some will still listen and favorably respond to any positive Pro-Life presence and then decide to keep their child and that has an unexpected result in itself:

Girls in this age group who have had abortions are 6 times more likely to commit suicide than the average rate, and there are cases where the decision to keep the baby actually kept the young mother from committing suicide. Clear examples of the unborn saving the life of the mother.*

It seems that there is aways that unexpected wrinkle in accessing human behavior that goes against prevailing majority opinion.

So, although 1/3 of of all pregnancies in the U.S. today are quickly aborted chemically, and that 1/3 are aborted clinically, and that 1/3 are allowed to continue full term, there is always that hope that our culture will trend away from the current norm. Our prayers can turn hearts enough that two lives truly see, love and save each other, mother and child.

*Focus on the Family, Faith Radio, Minneapolis MN

Note - One of the Alpha speakers acknowledged that her young daughter had an abortion while still living at home, without her knowledge and was told by her daughter of this many years later.

Rik Charbonneaux is a retired NE Iowan who loves all of God's Word and all of His creatures.