By Elizabeth Hakesley, 3rd grade
The Bible verse I chose is Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you.” I love this verse because it reminds us that God loves each of us.
This is important to me because my mom just gave birth to my baby sister. She is my fifth sibling, and I know that every life is precious. God has a special plan for every person He creates.
Even the tiniest baby growing in his or her mother’s belly is a human being. Every person deserves love and protection. Every person is unique, special, beautiful, and worthy of life. All human life is so special because God created every person. Right now, my new baby sister, Veronica, cries and sleeps a lot. She has big blue eyes and dark hair and she loves to be held and nursed. God knew what she would look like and what she would do even before He created her. My family loves her very much, and we are so lucky to have her.
There are a few ways I can practice the Bible verse Jeremiah 1:5 in my life. First, I can pray for babies and their parents. Sometimes parents get scared to have a baby and they need God’s help to make good and holy decisions. It’s not always easy to take care of a baby, so moms and dads need lots of help, love, and grace. I can also pray for people who defend life. There are sadly many people who don’t think a preborn baby is precious. Some people don’t think a preborn baby is even a life at all.
Sometimes, people try to hurt the people who defend life. Charlie Kirk was a man who defended life and someone killed him. Charlie was a brave man who told people the truth that all life matters. Someone killed him even though he showed by example that we can love and care for babies and their parents. Charlie’s good example reminds us that all life is a gift from God, and we should love one another. We should all try to be as brave as Charlie was.
Second, I can be kind to everyone I meet. Since everyone is made by God and precious to Him, we should show love and kindness to everyone. This means being kind even to people who are not kind to us. I can be kind even to kids who are not nice to me, and I can even share with them.
Charlie Kirk’s wife, Erika, forgave the man who shot Charlie. Her example reminds us that even people who do bad things are loved by God and all lives are precious.
Third, I can keep learning more ways to help protect life. I can tell people the truth about how special all life is, like Charlie Kirk did. I can love people like he did and forgive and care for them like his wife Erika does. I can learn from the Bible, from the saints, and from other people who defend life.
Saints such as St. Gianna Molla and St. Teresa of Calcutta showed a good example of what it means to defend life. St. Gianna Molla, one of my patron saints, sacrificed her life for her child. St. Teresa always stood up for life, even to leaders of the world who said abortion was okay.
Standing up for life is not always easy, but it is right and it’s what God wants us to do.
Jeremiah 1:5 reminds me that God created all life and He loves all of us. Every life matters, and we all need to pray that parents choose life for their preborn children. Even before God created me or my five brothers and sisters, He loved us so much. Each of us was a special thought floating around in His brain. I want to remind people to live their lives protecting the innocent lives of preborn babies.
We should all remember that God made every life valuable. If we all treat each other with love and kindness, we can help change the world.
Elizabeth Hakesley won first place in the elementary school category of the Culture of Life Studies Program’s 2025 Pro-Life Essay Contest.