I, like other conservatives, was disappointed this morning when vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin announced that her 17-year-old, unmarried daughter was pregnant. We don't need one more issue or event working against conservatives in this campaign.

But then I got to thinking. It's one thing for Sarah Palin to say she's passionately pro-life. It's another thing to demonstrate it by introducing the world to her down-syndrome son born this past spring. While statistics tell us that 90 percent of parents abort a child that will be born with down syndrome, Sarah and Todd did what they always do: they chose life.

And now they've done it again. Imagine being a high-profile governor who is being vetted to be the first female vice presidential nominee. You are known for your righteous lifestyle and decisions. Then wham! Your unmarried, teenage daughter announces that she is pregnant. I wonder how many of us in the same situation would have chosen the easy way out. I'm guessing Barak Obama would have. Addressing the issue of abortion recently, he said that he would raise [his young daughters] with morals and values. "But if they make a mistake, I don't not want them to be punished with a baby." The Bible tells us that "Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the worm is a reward" (Ps. 127:3). Does that sound like punishment to you?

In contrast today, Palin said: "Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows that she has our unconditional love and support."

We've all had to lean on God's mercy and grace at times in our lives, and I have seen Him often redeem situations and actually turn them for good (Gen. 50:20). It's for His good, in fact, that we are to live our lives.

My prayer is that God takes this situation in the Palin family and use it for His good.