All God's Children

Proverbs 22

The rich and the poor have this in common... the Lord made them both. A simple reminder that in God's eyes all begin life equal as his creation. While working in a food closet several years ago, a tangible reminder of God's equality was set before me. A young mother came in with her mother and her baby. The grandmother was in her mid 30s, the mother in her teens, and the baby (named Joy) was only 1-2 months old. While the mother was searching for some clothes that might fit, the grandmother and I talked at length about her granddaughter. She was so proud of how the baby was laughing and rolling over... slightly ahead of schedule on developmental milestones. Since our youngest was still a toddler, it struck me that Joy was currently on equal footing with her peers as a healthy child of the Creator, but judging by the choices her mother and grandmother had made, I wondered how long Joy would remain on that same footing. Would she be coming by the food closet in 16 years looking for help for her baby, or would she make different choices that would lead her in a different direction? Out of love for his creation, the Lord has given us the freedom to make our own choices... what will we choose today?