Standing for life as an American Heritage Girl
By Patti Garibay
I promise to love God, cherish my family, honor my country, and serve in my community. This is the Oath that an American Heritage Girl (AHG) recites at each troop meeting and ceremony and has done so since our very beginning in 1995. These words, over time, become engraved on a girl's heart and mind.
The concepts of love, cherish, honor and serve are integral to the AHG experience. They are rooted in the belief that there is a loving Creator who deserves our love in return. That loving Creator has provided a family for us to cherish, a country for us to honor and a community that desperately needs to know His love – demonstrated through selfless acts of kindness or service.
AHG believes that each life is truly a gift from God and has an immense innate worth. After all, we are created in the image of our Creator! "So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27 NIV). John 1:3 ESV reiterates: "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."
The protection of human life is a recurring theme in Scripture. It has such importance to God that He included it in the Ten Commandments given to Moses for His people, "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). David speaks of this in the Psalms: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well" (Psalms 139:13-14 NIV).
From the moment of conception until natural death, each human life is sacred, and it is our duty as believers to safeguard and celebrate this gift from our Creator. Only God, the ultimate Giver of Life, possesses the authority to determine the course and duration of our existence. Because we are made in God's image, we are different than His other creations – each of us has a soul. Only the Creator can destroy His creation. God gives life, and He alone should take it away.
God is the giver of life, and as a result, human life is precious. This primary tenet of the Christian faith is celebrated by American Heritage Girls. God has created each of us uniquely on purpose for a purpose. We are created to fulfill God's unique purpose for our individual lives.
Despite the cultural trade winds of today (and they are indeed "trade" winds, not stable and sovereign), AHG stands unabashedly for life. We do not waver in our commitment to this fundamental principle, even in a world where cultural norms may shift.
Our commitment to the sanctity of life goes beyond words; it is embodied in our actions. We celebrate life through service to pregnancy care centers and nursing homes. We stand for life through completing service projects and attending pro-life marches. We honor life through compassion, friendship and prayer. And we glorify the Giver of Life through humble submission to His Truths as found in His Holy Word.
May we steward the gifts of our Creator well. And may we love all His people, no matter the age or stage of life, as we love and glorify Him who is the source of all life. In a world where the sanctity of life is challenged, may our faith and unwavering commitment to the principles of life serve to inspire others to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of every individual. Together, let us be beacons of hope, standing for life and celebrating the divine gift of existence.
Patti Garibay is founder and executive director of American Heritage Girls (AHG, www.AmericanHeritageGirls.org), a national Christ-centered leadership and character development program. For nearly three decades, AHG has been at the forefront of countering the culture by leading girls and women to creating lives of integrity. Patti is the author of "Why Curse the Darkness When You Can Light A Candle?" a story of trust and obedience to inspire those who desire to make Kingdom impact yet struggle with the fear of inadequacy.
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