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You
made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my
mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship
is marvelous--and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in
utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me
before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment
was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts
about me, O God! They are innumerable!
(Psalm 139:13-17 NLV). The following is a true story about a
boy who, the world might say, was a terrible underachiever. While in the eighth
grade, he failed subjects repeatedly. High school wasn't much better; he flunked
Latin, Algebra, English, and received a grade of zero in Physics. The boy
managed to make the school golf team, but he lost the most important golf match
of the season, and even though there was a consolation match, he failed
miserably in that too. It's not that his peers disliked this boy; it's just that
they never really seemed to notice him much. Even "Hellos" in the hall
were a rarity. Out of all the failures in his life, there was something that did
hold great importance to this boy, his love of drawing. Although in high school,
the cartoons he submitted to the yearbook were rejected, once out of school, the
boy was so sure of his artistic talent that he approached Walt Disney Studios
with drawing samples. I wish I could say the studio execs loved his work and
immediately hired him, but such was not the case. He received another huge
rejection. Despite his many lack of successes, this boy did not give up. He then
decided to write his own autobiography in cartoons, about a little boy who was
regarded as a loser and nobody. The name of this boy was Charles Schulz, the
creator of the famous Charlie Brown and Peanuts comic strip. In
life, it is sometimes easy to feel like a nobody. We pass hundreds of people on
the street on our way to work, or walk through a faceless crowd in a mall, and
no one seems to notice or care. Deep inside, we may know we are special and
unique and have lots to offer, but unless someone takes the time to look our way
and give us a chance, we may feel worthless and mediocre, just like Charlie
Brown who couldn't even manage to fly a kite or kick a football properly. Just
as Charles Schulz had faith in his artistic talent, so too, we ought to realize
that nobody is a nobody, especially in God's eyes. We all have special gifts and
talents, and every human being is deserving and capable of being loved and
appreciated. Today, I invite you to look deep within yourself, and rather than
see what you can do to improve yourself, as all the many self-help books
suggest, find what you already "like" about yourself! Do you have an
awesome laugh or smile? Are you thoughtful and sensitive to the needs of others?
Are you down-to-earth and practical? Do you enjoy your ability to dream and
hope? Our heavenly Father does not see with external eyes, but sees to the very
core of our foundation. There is nothing we can hide from Him, and He alone,
knows our motives and most secret desires. Learn to love yourself the way our
Creator does, and learn to reach out to others the same way God is awaiting you
with open arms. |
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