On being wonderfully made …
This is a big week for our family. Both of my girls are moving up in school. The younger one is moving from the infant room to the toddler room. The older one is starting first grade. It has been a big week, and I am certainly having some feelings. Mostly, as I look at both of them, boldly tromping into their new rooms and onto the bus, I am in awe. I marvel at how big they have gotten. I marvel at how beautiful they each are in their own unique ways. I marvel at their awesome personalities and the joy that they bring to others. I know I am biased as a parent, and I also recognize all the days when my children are not awesome, but today I am profoundly moved by how awesomely and wonderfully made they are.
As I thought about each of them today, I was reminded of that verse from Psalm 139, “I praise You, for I am awesomely, wondrously made; Your work is wonderful; I know it very well.” (Ps. 139.14, Tanakh translation) Today, I felt like I received a small glimpse into the ways that God must look at each of us. So often, we look at our flaws and failures. Even our prayer time can be filled with regrets and apologies to God. We know that we fall short of the goodness God wants for us. But that is not how God sees us. God sees the wonderful and awesome creature that God has made and God is greatly pleased with us. Perhaps there are days when we greive God through sin and violence to ourselves, to one another, and to God. But God has a tremendous way of cutting through all that sinfulness and seeing goodness in us. God sees how we are awesomely and wondrously made.
This week, I invite you to connect with God’s version of you. I invite you in your prayer time to let go of the flaws and failures and to instead celebrate the goodness of each day. Maybe you will have to reach really far into your reflection to find something positive. But my guess is that you do something each day that pleases God – however big or small. Meditate on that goodness and give glory to God!
