Real Dignity (#12 of 365+)

I have loved the following words from the Declaration of Independence ever since I had to memorize them in middle school: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Life is a basic human right. And the reason is spelled out within the same sentence, because "their Creator" gave it to them as a gift. It isn't because they are worthy by themselves to have life. Their worth (or as Joni says, their "dignity") comes from God himself because he made mankind special among all creation, capable of having an eternal relationship with him.

In our local community, as in many other communities around this great nation, there is a program that helps mentally disabled and mentally retarded citizens to find employment and become productive citizens. And I have seen online programs that employ members of society who have a physical disability. But what about my older sister? Even though she is physically capable, she can't hold down a job much less accomplish a simple task or even behave herself in public. She was diagnosed with childhood schizophrenia, has severe autism and some mental retardation, and suffers from epileptic seizures. In the opinion of a world that doesn't believe in a Creator God, my sister has absolutely zero (zilch, nada) value. But in God's eyes she has inestimable worth.

You should see how happy she is during the Sunday morning worship service. Even though she can't speak intelligibly, she can't sing or clap on the beat, she doesn't have any money to tithe -- she does what she can. She smiles and sways with the music. With all the problems she has (and I can't even begin to imagine what life is like for her) my sister still praises her Creator God with all the ability she has been given.

Lord, thank you for life and for all the gifts you've given us. May I be a faithful steward of the gifts you've given me. I pray that my words and actions bring glory to your name today. Amen.