Created Beautifully

Everyone has their story, their own testimony. The best thing about each of our stories is that they are all unique, no two stories are exactly the same. In addition, just as each of our stories is unique so are each one of us.

I an Fearfully and Wonderfully made
“You don’t have to wonder you are wonderfully made/ perfectly beautiful in every way/ wonderfully, wonderfully made/ you’re anything but typical its true/ they ain’t seen anybody quite like you/ God never makes a mistake/ You are wonderfully made,” coons Mathew West’s “Wonderfully Made” through my headphones. I look up toward Heaven and simply think, “Am I?” And yet, I am reminded that God never makes a mistake. Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them.” Since we are created in his image He knew what he was doing when he molded us. Our personality, looks, and our story. Yet, there are times it is hard to accept ourselves. For me it is a daily struggle to remind myself to not compare myself with someone else. To remember I’m uniquely made the way I am for a purpose. That my story of redemption isn’t through conquering an addiction such as smoking or drugs. My story includes Jesus saving me from feeling as if I’m not good enough. From feeling as if I would never measure up to the kids around me, or my stepdads standards. It includes me learning to love myself as God loves me. To accept my hearing disability as a gift and not a curse. To realize that I can make a difference in other’s lives after all that I have been through. Each of these parts of my story are puzzle pieces that have shaped me. However, the best part of all is that no matter how many times the puzzle pieces get misplaced or crooked God comes in and helps me put the pieces back together. Otherwise stated, that no matter how many times I go back to being that small insecure elementary school girl that he redeemed me from, He will always be right there to remind me that that’s not who I am anymore.

There are times that I forget who I am, but then the lyrics to Matthew West’s song “Hello, My Name Is” echoes through my soul. “Hello, my name is child of the one true King/ I’ve been saved/ I’ve been changed/ and I have been set free/ Amazing Grace is the song I sing/ Hello, my name is child of the one true King,” these words help me to write my own “Hello, My Name Is” name tag which expresses the trials I have faced and who Christ is shaping me into. When I reflect over these concepts I see He has created me into: a sweet, caring, generous, loving, courageous, strong person, and most importantly an overcomer.  Our name tag does not hold our failures or who we were in the past. It holds the victorious child of Christ. It projects our acceptance of knowing that through Him we are made good. That we are made in His image, and just as He is perfect, in turn we are perfectly imperfect. Our father has made us all flawless.

My prayer for those that are reading this is that we don’t allow others to define who you are. God created each and every one of us with our own unique looks, personalities, gifts, talents, and testimonies. Also, that no matter what, that we remember that God loves us just the way we are despite the battles we are facing and the scars we may carry.

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