Sermon Illustrations
93-Year-Old Woman Finds 'Reason to Still Be Here'
Pro-life speaker and advocate Stephanie Gray tells the following story about treating each person—from the womb to the tomb—with dignity:
Every Friday morning, my friend Kathleen spends an hour playing Scrabble with a lovely 93-year-old lady at a local care home. It's Kathleen's simple way of helping the elderly find joy in their daily life. She's always praying for opportunities to talk to the woman about God, or to simply show her that she is loved. Finally, that opportunity came in full force.
After the game, the woman asked, "What do you think of doctor-assisted suicide?" and pointed to an article from the paper on the topic. Kathleen said, "I told her that I felt it was very sad that anyone should feel the need to take their life, and it's our failure as a society when anyone is left feeling this way. After some time discussing this, she expressed to me that she can sympathize with people who don't feel they have a reason to live in their suffering, as she too, often wonders why God still has her 'stuck in this wheelchair."
Kathleen concluded, "With tears in my eyes I was able to tell her what a joy she is to me, and that I look forward to visiting her every week. She teared up as well, shock in her eyes, and said, 'Really? Is that true?' I nodded, unable to get more words out. 'Well then, perhaps there is reason enough for me to be here.'"