I saw this article about Texas maternal mortality on USA Today."The rate of maternal mortality in Texas spiked from 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010 to more than 30 per 100,000 in 2011 and remained over 30 per 100,000 through 2014, according to a recent study in the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. That’s significantly higher than Italy (2.1 deaths per 100,000 live births), Japan (3.3) and France (5.5), and more in line with Mexico (38.9) or Turkey and Chile (15.2), according to World Health Organization statistics.
Across the USA, the rate of maternal deaths also jumped from 18.8 per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 23.8 in 2014 – a 27% jump, the study showed."
Just numbers, right?
And then it gets real.
My son came home from work Friday with a small black ribbon on his uniform. He's not supposed to wear any extra attachments to his uniform so he said "I"ll bet you're wondering why this is on my shirt".
A co-worker (one of the kitchen crew) had gone into the hospital due to complications with her pregnancy.
Both the baby and mother died.
The joyful expected event is gone and replaced family tragedy.
The numbers get real.
Texas maternal mortality rate just rose.
Aside: Want to help?
This leads us to wonder - if God is almighty - why did this happen?
Pastor Patterson answered it well in a sermon to us in July - "If God is almighty, why is there evil and suffering?". It's well worth a listen or a watching.
Bible Reference: Romans 5:6-9, 12, 20b-21
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Lord,
This reminds me that statistics (like "1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will personally deal with cancer in their lifetime") will get real for me.
When it does - turn my attention away from myself and the pit of self-pity to You and your grace.
And to what is really real.
Your promise to me that heaven (perfection like I can't even imagine) is in my future.
Amen.
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This reminds me that statistics (like "1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will personally deal with cancer in their lifetime") will get real for me.
When it does - turn my attention away from myself and the pit of self-pity to You and your grace.
And to what is really real.
Your promise to me that heaven (perfection like I can't even imagine) is in my future.
Amen.
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TIP: click the Bible Reference and then "more details" to get hyperlinks that open Bible Gateway
What's the big deal about Jesus?
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