Are you brave enough?

Are you brave enough to wear your sign?  You ask, "what is your sign?"  Your sign is the first thing people see before they even ask your name.  Your sign puts out there, for the whole world to see, things about you: mostly things that are not socially acceptable, leading people to judge you.  Maybe your sign says, "I have not been faithful to my family", "I don't like people who are different from me", or "I have collection agencies calling me".  All of these socially unacceptable...  but these examples are consequences of your own actions.  If people saw these on your sign before asking your name, they would automatically begin to judge you. 

Now, what if your sign said other socially unacceptable things that you had no control over: "I sweat a ton when I get nervous," "I have bad body odor in the afternoon," "[insert your private uncontrollable issue]."  These are things you have no control over but most people would only know about you if you wrote it on your sign.  You can hide it pretty well (with the right deodorant).

Are you defined by what is on your sign?  Are you brave enough to wear your sign?  Not many of us are brave enough.

Almost three years ago I met two incredible boys who are brave enough to wear their signs.  The entire world can see their weaknesses, they can judge them before they even meet them.  They are purely who God made them, hiding nothing.  Before you meet the first one you will notice he is missing his right hand, has a cochlear implant and cannot sit or walk on his own.  You would probably say to the person next to you, "I think there is something wrong with him," or, "bless his heart (my least favorite Southernism), he has some major problems."  You will also probably think this is a cute boy but not someone you want your kids playing with because he is obviously different.  You would rationalize it by thinking he probably can't play anyway, so it's not like he would be missing out.  After seeing all that and making those judgements you would then learn his name is Nathan.  The second boy does not sit or walk either.  He kinda talks, but obviously with a delay.  He has residue on the sides of his face from the tape that holds the nasal cannula on to give him oxygen while he sleeps.  Again, you would make the same judgements with him, "I think there is something wrong with him," or, "bless his heart, he has some major problems."  You will also probably think this is a cute boy but not someone you want your kids playing with because he is obviously different.  You would rationalize it by thinking he probably can't play anyway, so it's not like he would be missing out.  After seeing all that and making those judgements you would then learn his name is Owen.

Now, let me ask you again, "Are you brave enough to wear your sign"?  If not, give a lot of credit to those kids who wear their signs every day for the whole world to see.  Kids with cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, spina bifida, Rett Syndrome, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, etc.  Do you want to be judged by your sign?  If you don't want to be judged by your sign, don't judge these kids by theirs.  Get to know them, get to love them and understand that they are whole, perfect, beautiful and pure in the way God made them, and God can use their signs to speak beautiful words to you.