I know there are bound to be some folks among my Facebook friends and followers who know I have a beloved son with Down syndrome and wonder why I haven’t posted for Down Syndrome Awareness Month. I respect our many loving observances, and as October comes to an end, I’ll take a moment now to say I propose to celebrate God-Given Human Value Awareness Month, every month of the year.
Isaac–and the rest of us–is so much more than a diagnosis or other definition. Like you and me, he’s a unique individual with his own assortment of features and foibles.
Isaac does happen to boast an extra chromosome #21 which qualifies him for the DS label. Some say it’s a love chromosome, because Isaac–and other people with Down syndrome–do tend to offer way more love, laughter, and joy than average. I have come to believe that while Isaac is wiser than you think, he doesn’t suffer the intellectual barriers to loving life and others some of the rest of us do. I also believe he’s closer to heaven. But this isn’t a 24/7, 360° proposition. He can be Olympically stubborn, Hulkishly angry, and an adorable sloth who will charm the gullible into being his own Downton Abbey valet.
Regardless of Isaac’s special combo of assets and liabilities, his value is inherent, imparted by God alone, and not even an itsy-bit determined by abilities, attributes, achievements, accolades…or good health of any variety. Yours isn't either.
Frankly, for any of us to attach our worthiness to any of that is a losing proposition. God says so. Plotted on a continuum of perfection, we will never score 100% in every category and most of us fall way short in more than a few.
By the way, this all applies to unborn or “unwanted” humans, whom God says have every smidgen the right to life and love as the rest of us.
Let’s celebrate that God says:
We’re different by design.
We’re each invaluably precious.
We’re so loved by the God of the Universe He gave HIS only Son to save us from ourselves. Let's celebrate God-Given Human Value Awareness Month...every month of the year.
#God #Jesus #DifferentByDesign #God-GivenValueMonth #downsyndrome #specialneeds #loved
Your comments touched my heart. I have a great grandson who’s only 3 that is on the autism spectrum. All humans, big or small, are precious in God’s eyes no matter what. I wish everyone would realize that. And God bless your Isaac 🙏🏻❤️
Yes! I love your attitude on this subject. When our daughter was younger we were visiting a friend while they had others there too. I went inside the barn, leaving our daughter outside to play with an older girl. Inside, the other girl's mother and I discovered our daughters shared the same name. Then she identified her daughter by a label put upon her by government educators and doctors. I shared with her my notion that we all have our Dis- abilities, but I prefer to look for and foster the Abilities given us by God. I don't know where I would be today if my own parents had honed-in on my Dis-abilities, instead of teaching me to embr…