You Were Wonderfully Made

You Were Wonderfully Made

Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, and I know that full well. (NIV)

            It was Monday morning and time to head back to work. Mrs. Peterson had enjoyed a nice Christmas vacation and now, the children would be ready for her once they came back to the classroom. Mrs. Peterson had been a 4th-grade elementary school teacher for 10 years and she adored all of her students. Even though some of them were a little more challenging than others, due to their various backgrounds, Mrs. Peterson treasured them all. They were even more precious to her because she and her husband did not have any children of their own. Therefore, the students that she had over the years became her prize and joy.

            The week went by fast as the children began to settle back into the routine of things after enjoying a long break. Mrs. Peterson taught the students their subjects according to the lesson plans that she had created to prepare them for the end-of-the-year state-wide exams. This was major for both the school and the teachers because it was deemed to measure what the students had learned and the effectiveness of the teachers. Although Mrs. Peterson was confident that she had done her best throughout the year to give the proper instruction to her students, she still considered the exams to be a nail-biter not only for them but for herself as well. She wanted all of them to succeed and go on to do well in their future academics.

            One day, as Mrs. Peterson was erasing the board, while the children were out for recess, she turned around and noticed that one of her students, Kathy, had not gone out to play with the other children. This was quite unusual for Kathy because Mrs. Peterson knew that Kathy loved to play with the other children. Therefore, this caused Mrs. Peterson to be concerned as to if Kathy was ill. After, walking to Kathy’s desk and noticing her sad look, Mrs. Peterson decided to break the silence and ask, “Kathy, why aren’t you outside playing with the other children?” Kathy looked up at Mrs. Peterson and replied, “I don’t feel like playing today. I just want to study.” Although Mrs. Peterson was fine with Kathy wanting to study, she felt that there was more to it than the response that she received so she decided to question Kathy further.

            “Kathy, can you study once you get home and enjoy the few minutes you have left to play?” Mrs. Peterson asked. “Yes, Mrs. Peterson, but I am worried,” replied Kathy, “that I will not do as well as the other kids on the test. I’m not smart like they are.” At hearing Kathy’s response, Mrs. Peterson told Kathy to follow her to her desk at which, she grabbed her Bible and turned to the book of Psalms. Mrs. Peterson taught at a Christian school where there were no problems with her teaching her students about God. She loved teaching them lessons from the Bible that helped them with issues that may arise. Therefore, she thought it necessary to do that with Kathy.

“Kathy,” Mrs. Peterson said, “do you know that God made you special?”

“Yes, Mrs. Peterson!” Kathy said excitingly.

“How do you know?” Mrs. Peterson asked.

“Well, the Bible tells me and my mom and dad told

me too,” said Kathy.

“That’s right!” said Mrs. Peterson, “your parents are absolutely correct because the Bible lets us know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

“What’s fearfully?” asked Kathy.

Mrs. Peterson replied, “Well, Kathy, in the Bible, the word fearfully does not mean to be afraid. When the Bible tells us to fear God, it means to reverence and respect Him. So, in this case, it means that God took care and reverence to make human beings.”

“He did?” asked Kathy.

“Yes, Kathy,” replied Mrs. Peterson, “God took great care to make you because He loves you. That means that you are just as smart as He wants you to be because you were made in the image of Him. And you know that God is really smart. Right?”

Kathy thought for a moment and answered, “Yes, God is the smartest person in the whole wide world because He made me.”

“That’s right Kathy. Now all you have to do is study and believe in yourself. God will help you do the rest,” said Mr. Peterson.

            After the talk with Mrs. Peterson, Kathy went outside to play for recess and kept in mind what she and Mrs. Peterson had discussed.

            In our lives, we may doubt our abilities to succeed just as little Kathy did. We may compare ourselves to others and/or think that we did not get an early start in life to accomplish some of the goals and dreams that we once had. However, we must remember that God made us to fulfill whatever purpose He has regardless of the years that it takes. Many people in the Bible did not start their God-given destiny until later in life. We find this in the case of Moses who did not lead the Children of Israel till he was 80. Joshua, Moses’ successor, was in his 80’s when he took over. Ruth, according to Christian historians, was 40 when she married Boaz and had a child. Elizabeth was in her old age when she had John the Baptist. Jesus did not start ministry until 30 years old. These are a few of the examples in the Bible where their destiny was not delayed, but set for an appointed time. Habakkuk 2:2 Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” (NIV)

            The Potter loves you and created you to be a unique vessel for His kingdom. You have been given spiritual gifts that are just for kingdom building. All you have to do is ask the Potter to help you discover your gifts if you do not already know, and allow His timing as to when they are to be used. If you have felt that it’s too late to fulfill your goals and dreams, do not listen to the seeds of doubt that have been planted in your mind by the enemy. Things may seem impossible with man, but with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (NIV)