Biology Class, A Fetus and the Christmas Story

December 18, 2003
<<<Contact Pete Tigchelaar (TIG A LAR) at 616-526-6346>>>

For almost three decades Calvin professor Pete Tigchelaar has had a
three-month-old fetus, encased in plastic, that he uses in human biology
classes at Calvin.

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 canceled 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.'"
 
Contact Tigchelaar (TIG A LAR) at 616-526-6346

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Received on Thu Dec 18 09:24:39 2003