Choosing Life When Diagnosis Scares

We respond to a viral controversy around abortion after a Down syndrome diagnosis by slowing down and asking what makes a life valuable when the future feels unknown. We wrestle with fear, disability, and real-life parenting questions while holding tight to Scripture, prayer, and the conviction that God has purpose for every person. 
• why disability affects every community and why many families still avoid church 
• how controversy raises deeper questions about the value of life 
• why we do not pretend to know the future or play God 
• what Scripture says about image-bearing and purpose amid weakness 
• a personal story about a prenatal test result that was wrong 
• how to encourage someone without judgement when they are scared 
• questions parents ask when facing a diagnosis and what support should look like 
• why gospel accessibility matters for people with disabilities and their families 

If you want to dive deeper on your own, you can check out the Indispensable-People blog or my books on Amazon called The Indispensable Kid or Gospel Accessibility and the Indispensable People. 

Transcript

Why Disability Ministry Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Hey, hey, my name is Tracy Coral, and welcome to Indispensable People. I'm a pastor, a teacher, a missionary, a mom, a wife, and I believe that every person should have access to the gospel so that they can know Christ, grow in him, and serve him with the gifts that he has given. Over 65 million Americans have a disability. That's 15 to 20% of every community. And over 85% of those individuals do not attend church. 90% of pastors believe that they are a disability-friendly church, but only 20% of parents and families agree. Let's dive deep into hard topics, big questions, perceptions, stereotypes, and so much more. Hey,

A Social Media Controversy Surfaces

SPEAKER_00 0:55

hey, welcome to this episode of Indispensable People. Today we're talking about a little bit of controversy. I don't spend a whole lot of time on social media. I don't watch the news a whole lot. And so sometimes I miss the things that are going on. And a lot of times it'll come up in conversations with friends or with questions through ministry things and stuff like that. And so it will have been a couple weeks since this happened by the time this podcast comes out. But I wanted to kind of cover it, not because I wanted to jump into the controversy. I don't need to add more. I'm not here to judge on other people's lives. Yes, I stand firm in my own beliefs, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I was in the middle of painting and I had painting. And while I was working, it gave me a lot of time to think about what she was asking.

Facing A Down Syndrome Diagnosis

SPEAKER_00 2:08

And there's been some controversy, especially on social media right now, with a family who had made a decision to abort their baby because of a Down syndrome diagnosis. And so my friend texted me, and her background is that when she was a very young girl, she had chosen abortion for her life, later came to great relationship with the Lord. And it's one of the things that, you know, obviously she would go back and change if she could.

The Only Foundation We Trust

SPEAKER_00 4:06

A diagnosis. And so, like at first trying to grapple with, I don't know that we really have specific resources, like something tangible that I could hand someone who is considering what to do with a potential diagnosis. What we do have is counsel and prayer, and the ministry again is in existence as a resource because people struggle with the concept of disability. They struggle with the realities of day-to-day life with disability, and our resource is Jesus, right? Like that's my go-to in this situation. Also, just standing on the the only the answers and the resources that are gonna make the difference in that point or in that decision have everything to do with a person's understanding of the value of life and the creator who has plans and purposes for that life. And struggle doesn't negate the fact that there are plans and purposes for the life of that child. And so, you know, we can stand on, you know, image bears created in the image of God, we can look at the body of Christ and how the different pieces and parts are made differently to bring glory to him, and that in our weaknesses is where he is strong. And, you know, we could go through all of the scriptures that, regardless of the ability or disability of a human, that if God thought fit to put breath in their lungs, he has purpose for them. Also, let's look and make a realization that we don't know the future, right? Yes, that child could be born, and there could be medical complications and there could be struggles throughout their life, and they can deal with people who are unkind and unfair and all of those things. That's honest and that's true. But also that child could be an incredible piece of the body of Christ, and God could have, God does have incredible plans for that child, no matter what the struggles

A False Test Result Story

SPEAKER_00 6:41

are. But as I was thinking through this, when I was in college, I I was taking education classes, and in one of my education classes, there was an older mom, and I say that because, you know, typical college age, you know, we're in our late teens, early 20s. And I think this mom might have been in her 30s or 40s. And well, when I say mom, she was pregnant. And one of the things that she spoke about and shared about was the she had some testing done while the baby was in her womb. And they had told her that the baby had Down syndrome. So very similar situation in this case. She had very strong religious beliefs, and abortion was not an option, but she was incredibly concerned, not knowing, you know, what things would look like going forward. And she had the baby, and the baby did not have Down syndrome. So I think about also the decisions that are made with minimal telling of the future. You know, I get it that we live in a time where medical advances are much further along. That was, you know, 20 some years ago, whenever I was in college. But I think about that woman and the decisions that she could have made and she was encouraged to make, and then the child was born, and none of that was even a thing. We can't know the future. We also don't have the wisdom and the understanding to decide that. That's why we are not God. That's why we serve a creator whose ways are higher than ours, his ways are mysterious, and that he has plans and purposes for us that we could never know or dream of. And he reveals to us and shows us as we grow and get older and experience him. And he doesn't reveal all of that all at one time, usually. And so it has the this thought process has spurred on some considerations of resources and what could be available for the future. But the main source of understanding, the main source of what we stand on, the main anything, the foundation that we utilize to walk through life, to choose life, to believe and have hope is because of the word of God. There is no better resource, there is no better guide, there is no better understanding because he knows all. And he knows what was yesterday, he knows what's today, and he knows what is to come. And that is the trust that we have to stand on. And so I stand here and speak to you today, thinking of the answer, and the answer is God, the resource is God. And if He, the creator of the universe, saw it fit to put breath in somebody's lungs and put them on this planet, living and viable in his eyes, then they are valuable, they are valuable, worthwhile, whatever struggle may come today.

Encouragement For Parents And Friends

SPEAKER_00 10:14

And so I encourage you to be an encourager to others with the word of God. And I say that in the sense of not in a judgmental way, but like my friend who reached out to me with that text, not judging, but with a heart that's broken, because she knows what it's like to walk through that and to make that decision. And she wanted others to not have to do that same decision-making process because they had understanding and resources in their hand. Because it's not just the resource of the God that we serve and who he is, but then also, can I be that parent for my child? Can I care for them? Can I understand them? Can I grow in my knowledge of whatever this diagnosis is and how that will look for my family? And can I be the best that I can be for them? So our foundation has to be on scripture. Our encouragement comes from those who can share that word with others and stand by them. And yes, we can provide resources and guidance and direction and hope for those families because we know that there is a God who chose their child, a God who knit them together. That child in their mother's womb has plans and purposes that are beyond anything that we could think of or dream of. That doesn't negate the difficulties and the struggles that they can come up against, but it does provide hope, direction, and purpose for a life that was chosen to be lived.

Keep The Conversation Going

SPEAKER_00 12:13

I can't claim to have all the answers. I can't claim to know all the things, but here's what we are gonna do. We're gonna keep this conversation going. We're gonna make the accessible gospel available to individuals with disabilities in our churches and in our communities so that every person has the opportunity to know Christ, to grow in him, and to serve him. If you want to dive deeper on your own, you can check out the Indispensable People blog or my books on Amazon called The Indispensable Kid or Gospel Accessibility and the Indispensable People.