Psalms 139

When I consider the fact that Mother's Day is this weekend and there are so many hurting people that have experienced the loss of a child through miscarriage I began to consider birth defects in light of Psalm 139.

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be. (v. 13-16)

King David did not have the scientific knowledge that we do today. Today, we can see inside the womb through ultrasound and we can use microscopes to actually see individual cells being divided and multiplied. We have made great advances in the general knowledge regarding human reproduction and putting scientific terms to what God has being doing all along. Does this change the biblical truths that David shared with us in the psalm regarding being fearfully and wonderfully made? I would argue to say that modern science brings even more truth to the statements found in scripture even in light of birth defects, teratogens and genetic chromosomal disorders.

One of the passages of scripture that always comes to my mind when trying to understand why God allows for things to go wrong is found in John 9. In this passage there is a blind man and the disciples asked Jesus who sinned, was it from the parents (genetic) or the man (environment) that caused this man to be born blind. Jesus responds with neither, it actually was for God’s glory. I think this is one of the most important things we can focus on when we encounter trials of various kinds, including birth defects, just being aware of how God will use even this for His glory.

A personal example of this was thirteen years ago, my husband and I were expecting twins. We had seen the two babies on ultrasound, their little hearts beating away, and were filled with such a joy at the double blessing God had given us. Without explanation, one of the twins’ heart stopped beating around 18 weeks. Doctor’s tried to explain it away, as normal, as most likely a genetic defect and that it happens frequently. Knowing that the Bible does say that God knits us together in our mother’s womb, I found myself questioning the “Knitter.”

I am a knitter. I have been knitting, writing patterns and selling my garments for years. I understand the complexities of creating a wearable garment, the stitches needed, and how the materials used can really change the entire fabric of the piece. If I chose to use smaller needles the resulting material would be very stiff and inflexible, similarly, if I used larger needles the piece would be full of holes and too delicate for the intended purpose. Yarn also matters, I decided early on in my business that life is too short to knit with cheap yarn. It requires the same amount of work to knit but will often hurt the hands of the knitter and produce subpar items.

I came to a conclusion that there often is no known reason why babies are born with birth defects, or don’t make it to birth at all. However, the primary factor is that we live in a fallen world. Things are no longer perfect and good as God designed it in the garden of Eden, and that’s why babies die, or have genetic deficiencies. It is not that God is not still in control and knitting us together in the womb, but that the yarn is no longer the best quality. This may mean in scientific terms that the genetics of the parents are causing abnormalities or as my friends who are in the foster care system experience, the choices of the parents cause harm to the developing fetus, particular in the area of abusing substances. I also know that God is there, as David shares, no matter where we go God is always there. I still don’t see fully the effects of God’s glory in the loss of my child and countless others, but I do my know my experience changed something in me and my husband that we have allowed God to use for His glory.