Close your eyes for a moment, and pay attention to some things you probably take for granted most days: the beating of your heart, your lungs filling with oxygen, your muscles supporting and moving your body. These are gifts life gives us.

  Today is the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, which has resulted in the death of tens of millions ofunborn babies in this nation. “Abortion stops a beating heart,” says the National Right to Life Committee. Aborted babies never get toenjoy the life-giving gifts that you and I take for granted every day.

  The late Dr. Francis Schaeffer said in one of his last messages that the right to life is more basic than the right to liberty, theright to the pursuit of happiness, or any other right. Indeed, if you lie dead in your coffin, you don’t care how many shackles and chainshave been wrapped around you, nor do you care how much money you have in your bank account. If you don’t have life, you don’t haveanything.

  But the right to life is challenged by those who assert an inherent right to choose. People in favor of abortion call themselves“pro-choice.” But I don’t agree with that term. After all, the unborn baby has no choice at all in the matter. (I’m reminded of thebumper sticker “Equal rights for unborn women.”) To those who are pro-choice, I can only encourage you to seek God’s heart in thismatter.

  Maybe someone you know has had an abortion. Maybe you yourself have had one. In either case, remember that the God who gives life also grants mercy. God offers grace and forgiveness to all who flee to the Cross, confess their sins, and ask Him to forgive their sins. Youcan be sure of that.

  Meanwhile, we should all pray that this horrible practice will end. Today, every time you’re aware of your heart beating, ask Godto reestablish the right to life in our nation.