So this past week got me thinking. There have been quite a few stories on the news in Kansas even, telling of children getting sexually abused by parents, neighbors, kids getting kidnapped, houses being busted for drugs. So I was thinking, It is politically correct nowadays to say that all humans are born free and equal in democratic countries. Yet, I believe that this only refers to the legal aspect. Genetically, everybody is different. It can be argued if intelligence, physical strength or other capabilities are genetical or acquired, or through my college courses moreso called nature vs. nurture. It certainly is a bit of both, but I'd say that genes play a very important part of the "potential", which one's education and environment will more or less develop
I hear people say this a lot.."ALL are born with the same opportunity"...especially and mainly within the USA. But is it true--do I agree? Nah. I was born to two GREAT parents..two GREAT people that have given their Life to raise my brother and I. They werent given the same opportunities as I was growing up, but they overcame and made my quality of life probably about as good as it can get for a kid growing up in Kansas.
But it is very hard for me to sit at my job at the courthouse and see all of these people coming to court and into probate, and believe that they were raised with the same chances as I was. Example: This weekend- at the motel, a lady was found passed out in her room with the door open, while her small child was wandering around the motel, tell me that that child has the same chances of being a normal successful citizen as I did. Yes they follow the same laws that I have to follow and yes they were most likely in the same school system as I was. But did their dad work his butt off so that their mother could be able to stay home with them during those very important years? Was their mother able to read to them and play with them during her time spent at home?
I am also lucky enough to marry a man that has had the same upbringing as I have- Kansas/Midwest/Farm...good values. Yea both of us have sinned...both of us have stumbled in our walk with Christ, both of us have disappointed our families a time or two...but both of us have always had a mom and dad to go to no matter what the case. We have both had parents that went to our high school ball games, parents that helped us get through college, came to our college graduation, loaned us money when we needed.
For this- I am thankful- for this my heart breaks for all of the drug stories/child abuse stories/probation stories that I hear up in the courthouse. For this--I am really trying to give grace to those 'losers' that are on drugs and have scratched up arms, those people in orange that humbly walk in chains to court every tuesday because of wrong choices they or their parents may have made. For this I am trying to watch how i speak about people, their ways of life and their choices that they have made. Ive been so quick to judge others if they are bad parents, if they did horrible things to get them to the point that they are at. I am supposed to give grace and take them for who they are. And For this I am thankful today that I have an amazing mother that celebrates a Birthday today..She's 100% mom--and ill never be able to pay her back. But I do hope/pray that I am as good as her when Im a mother.
For this- I am thankful to have spent all weekend with my 'new' family at their family reunion at Grand Lake, Oklahoma. It was good to see some of the people that Kregg comes from, and although everyone came from the same originals the "Hill Family"...they are all walking all different sorts of walks of life. And they all seemed very focused on Family.
a few pictures of my weekend-
