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A Christmas Story
Calvin News ^
| December 18, 2003
| Phil de Haan
Posted on 01/01/2004 9:37:09 AM PST by Forgiven_Sinner
A Christmas Story PHIL DE HAAN
For almost three decades Calvin College professor Pete Tigchelaar has had a three-month-old fetus, encased in plastic, that he uses in his human biology classes. He's always thought of the tiny fetus as a good educational tool.
But he's not thought of it as a lifesaver.
Last year, however, that changed when a student in one of his biology classes privately inquired if he still had it.
Intrigued Tigchelaar said that he did and invited the young woman to his office for further conversation. There he asked why she was interested. She proceeded to tell him an amazing story, one that he now is sharing more widely as Christmas draws closer.
The young woman told Tigchelaar that a generation earlier her mother had been a student in one of Tigchelaar's biology classes. Unknown to Tigchelaar this student was three months pregnant on a day he had shown the class the fetus with its tiny fingers, facial features, eyes, outline of a liver and other human features.
"She had already visited a pregnancy center," Tigchelaar recalls the young woman telling him, "and was told about the 'product of conception' and 'contents of the uterus' that she had within her. She was advised to have an abortion and had one scheduled for the following morning."
But after Tigchelaar's class she realized she had more within her than a "product of conception." And she cancelled her scheduled abortion, continued with her pregnancy and eventually delivered a healthy baby girl.
"I am that girl," the student then informed a stunned Tigchelaar. "Thanks for my life."
Tigchelaar, at the time, was amazed, speechless. He remembers in a halting voice telling the girl simply that she was beautiful.
"Even now," he says, "I can barely tell the story without breaking up."
Yet tell it he is. And for an important reason.
"In this season when we celebrate the birth of someone who came to give each of us eternal life," Tigchelaar says, "I am reminded that the unwed Mary would have been the perfect candidate for a similar procedure. I am thankful that her response was, 'I am the Lord's handmaid. Be it to me as you say.'"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
"A Christmas Story." Calvin News (December 18, 2003).
This article reprinted with permission from Calvin News.
THE AUTHOR
Phil de Haan is director of media relations at Calvin College. He began working at Calvin in 1985 and is a native of Exeter, Ontario.
TOPICS: Canada; Culture/Society; Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: abortion; calvincollege; calvinuniversity; christmas; college; education; michigan; petetigchelaar; plannedparenthood; righttolife; roevswade; scienceeducation; tigchelaar
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The story transcends comment.
To: Forgiven_Sinner
Amen.
2
posted on
01/01/2004 9:42:40 AM PST
by
GummyIII
(I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.)
Comment #3 Removed by Moderator
To: Forgiven_Sinner
No doubt.
4
posted on
01/01/2004 9:43:11 AM PST
by
xrp
To: Forgiven_Sinner
What a precious and beautiful story! This story beautifully illustrates in a wonderful way how the Lord can be using each of us, without our knowledge, to perfect His glorious plan in someone else's life.
To: Forgiven_Sinner
I will print it out and read it to my children. Thank you for posting. Great way to start a new year.
6
posted on
01/01/2004 10:28:02 AM PST
by
Boxsford
To: Forgiven_Sinner; Wrigley; Jean Chauvin; lockeliberty; drstevej
Teary eyed Ping!
To: Forgiven_Sinner
Wonderful.
8
posted on
01/01/2004 11:33:56 AM PST
by
drstevej
To: Forgiven_Sinner; Coleus; Barnacle
But after Tigchelaar's class she realized she had more within her than a "product of conception." And she cancelled her scheduled abortion, continued with her pregnancy and eventually delivered a healthy baby girl.
"I am that girl," the student then informed a stunned Tigchelaar. "Thanks for my life." Wow. Thanks for posting this.
9
posted on
01/01/2004 11:36:08 AM PST
by
NeoCaveman
(Happy New Year)
To: dubyaismypresident
Wow indeed.
I am reminded of the sermon I heard today. A prayer by John Neumann that we really don't know God's plans for us on this Earth. And, we won't know our real impact here until we look back from Heaven.
10
posted on
01/01/2004 11:54:57 AM PST
by
Barnacle
(Happy New year)
To: Forgiven_Sinner
Nothing I can add that would contribute.
11
posted on
01/01/2004 12:18:22 PM PST
by
Ursus arctos horribilis
("It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!" Emiliano Zapata 1879-1919)
To: Forgiven_Sinner
Wonderful story. As an added bonus, it gives me hope that not ALL college professors are pinko commie radical leftists. Thanks for a fantastic post!
12
posted on
01/01/2004 12:37:38 PM PST
by
Lib Buster
(It's freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion.)
To: Forgiven_Sinner
What a beautiful Christmas story!! I can't read it without tearing up!! I will be sharing it with others.
To: Forgiven_Sinner
Praise God
14
posted on
01/01/2004 12:49:20 PM PST
by
Neever
To: CARepubGal; Forgiven_Sinner; Wrigley; lockeliberty; drstevej
Thanks for the ping.
Prof Tigchelaar is a very highly respected professor at Calvin.
Jean
15
posted on
01/01/2004 12:53:56 PM PST
by
Jean Chauvin
(If God foreknew how and when he would change his mind -then he did NOT changed his mind.)
To: Forgiven_Sinner
Goosebump City
16
posted on
01/01/2004 4:02:33 PM PST
by
b9
To: CARepubGal; Forgiven_Sinner; Jean Chauvin; Wrigley
Thank you so much for the ping.
As an adoptee from Bethany Christian Services I can tell you that is only by the grace of God that I live and breath today. Thank God for his faithful servants.
Bethany Christian Services
To: lockeliberty
I, too, am adopted. After finding my birth mother several years ago, I got to meet the relative that talked her out of having an abortion.
What a wonderful story. Thanks, OP, so much for posting it!
18
posted on
01/02/2004 6:49:07 AM PST
by
kimmie7
(I need more time, more coffee, and more bandwidth!)
To: kimmie7; lockeliberty
Heh. I too, am adopted. I have found out my birth mother's name, but have not yet found or contacted her.
It's on my "to do" list for 2004.
19
posted on
01/02/2004 8:26:13 AM PST
by
Forgiven_Sinner
(Praying for the Kingdom of God.)
To: Forgiven_Sinner; kimmie7
You guys are ahead of me. When I was 18 I got some non-identifying information. The laws were far more restrictive at that time. At times I still consider trying to find out "who" but as of today I still have not decided to go through that process.
My wife was a birthmom and her daughter came and found her a few years back. She was very happy to meet and develop a relationship with her. She just found out she is going to be a Grandmother and she is very happy.
One of her uncles at the time offered to pay for an abortion but the grace of God prevented her from accepting that offer.
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