Autumn Song

According to a considerable number of Facebook notices today, it’s apparent that today is “Women’s Day.” I am a woman, so obviously, this caught my attention. Friends have urged that in honor of this recognition, today women ought to stay home from work, wear red, contribute to Planned Parenthood, and refrain from shopping as a sort of protest for women’s “rights.”
“Rights?” Hmmm… I find this baffling, because apart from the fact that here in America, women enjoy more rights than pretty much any other nation on earth, ironically I had just been spending the last few days with an incredulous sense of gratitude that as a woman in America, I have received far, far more than anything I have ever deserved!
Rights?? What rights? Hadn’t I taught our children–as our parents had taught us– that we don’t have “rights,” but “responsibilities?”
Here’s the bottom line: we have no “rights,” and we “deserve” nothing. If she’s looking for it, no woman will ever, ever find satisfaction or find her true worth in anything or anyone other than God Himself. It’s just not going to happen! Nobody but God has that power of affirmation– not government, not your employer, not the women’s group that scratches your back while whispering in your ear, “You’re a victim! You deserve more!” …no one except God Himself can dig so deep as to convict us of our own offenses, forgive our sins, and change our hard hearts from demanding our “rights” into expressing our gratitude for the gifts of life that we really don’t deserve.
Where there is sin, there will always be the result of sin. Where there is forgiveness, there will always be grace, mercy, peace, acceptance and incredible gratitude for what we do have.
The harsh truth is that if we got what we “rightfully deserved,” we would be in hell. Just like you, I know my own heart too well, and it hasn’t been good. Only God Himself can forgive and create something of eternal value out of the dust– which makes me pretty humble, and incredibly content with who I am and what He’s given me.
Instead of demanding “my rights,” I’m finding myself pretty darned grateful for the things I know I don’t deserve– a husband who loves me deeply as Christ loves us, and amazing grown kids and their spouses who contribute to the world around them in a way that has given me deep, deep joy that I know I don’t deserve… a comfortable little home…food on our table (so much, in fact, that I have to limit my intake lest I over-indulge) …friends… church… sun…stars…trees…birds…water…and, of course, the immeasurable happiness of grandkids that I know I didn’t deserve to have…
The greatest problem in our culture today is not a lack of rights. It’s a lack of gratitude.
So to celebrate, today I’m going to work as an expression of gratitude that God has given me health and the ability to do it. I’m going to send off the check I wrote to support “Life Choices,” the wonderful local organization that’s truly helping women who are in need of health and pregnancy care. I’m not wearing red. And I think I’ll stop right here so I can go to Amazon and order the list of things I need to purchase for my home and my grandkids’ upcoming birthdays.
I am a woman, made in the image of God to reflect His glory on this earth. I will continue to reach out to those around me. What better affirmation do I need?