You Are Special

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:14

This morning, my devotion was based on the above verse penned by David as he gave praise to the Lord for knowing his innermost being; every thought, every word and every deed. I've heard this verse repeatedly, but I never stopped to really think about it. God knew me before he even created me. Before He even formed me in my mother's womb. Can you fathom that? That's how special I am. And so are you. I think as humans we have words in our language that simply don't equate with how great our God is. To me, "special" is one of those terms. It just doesn't seem to do God justice! However, it's important that we recognize that we are special to God. We have value and we were created for a purpose. It's not about what others think, but only what God thinks. We are special because God created us.

After I read through Psalm 139, I sat down and read Max Lucado's book called You Are Special.

The Wemmicks are wooden people who are all carved by Eli, a woodworker. They spend their days placing stickers on each other; stars for those whose paint is pretty and those who are talented; dots for those who can't seem to do anything right. Punchinello was one Wemmick in particular who only received dots. He wasn't talented. He couldn't jump high. He couldn't walk fast. His paint was peeling. But one day he met a Wemmick like no other named Lucia. She had no stickers because they simply wouldn't stick. He wanted to know why so she pointed Punchinello towards Eli, their creator. She told him that she goes to see him everyday and that he should go too.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Punchinello goes in to see Eli. Everything in this woodworker's shop is huge and he becomes afraid and wants to leave. But before he can get out he hears his name called out by Eli.

"Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong.

Punchinello stopped.

"Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you."

Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman.

"You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.

"Of course I do. I made you."

Oh, how like our Creator, Eli is. He already knows our name and desires for us just to come to Him. Just as we are. We aren't special because of what others think or say about us. We aren't defined by what talents, or lack of talents, we have.
We are special because God made us.

At the close of the story, Punchinello begins to believe that he is special because Eli is his creator. He begins to belive that the dots that the Wemmicks have given him mean nothing and cannot define him.

And you know what happens?

The stickers begin to fall off.

Today, remember that you are special because you have been fearfully and wonderfully made. The Creator of the Earth has crafted your very being. He knew you before you were formed.

And that is something to rejoice about because...

YOU ARE SPECIAL.