April 27th, 2016

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand--
    when I awake, I am still with you.”
 Psalm 139: 13-18
Throughout my life, as the years went by, I had a difficult time believing that I was important or valuable. I believe that there are so many individuals who feel the same. Numerous songs, poems and stories have been penned telling the tale of the isolation that one feels in the darkness of their individual pits of despair.
Due to our belief that we are invaluable to the world around us, too many times we hide who we really are. Too often we hide our true value, covering it up to try to fit in to a standard or an image that does not fit us. We live our lives looking for a friend that share our same interest, all at the same time hiding our true selves. Over time we realize that this doesn’t allow us to use our talents and our strengths to make this world a better place. We continue to live in a state, covered by our masks of happiness and contentment.    
Over my years of Bible reading, I soon began to understand that, although we believe that we are unimportant, God’s plan and understanding proves the opposite. Psalm 139:13-18 gives details of the depth of God’s creation. God did not just stitch us together; God perfectly and intentionally formed us with a specific intension and purpose.
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Verse 13 shows that God was the one that formed us, down to the very last detail of our lives and our personality. With this being true, God knows our strengths and our weaknesses. God formed our body in the safety of our mother’s womb. God knows the strengths and talents that He was woven into lives. He also knows the personality that will complement ours the best, giving us a life-long companion on this journey.
“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Verse 16 reminds us that no part of lives or our creation has been hidden from God’s knowledge. God created the days of our lives with a specific goal in mind. While we may not know the number of our days or how long we will live, God does! Our creator has everything planned for our lives, showing us love and grace throughout our days. Since God knows our every detail and the characteristics that make us unique, why wouldn’t God create another individual that is much like us; A person that perfectly complements our personality; the same personality that may have gotten us labeled as “weird” or “strange”?
In the displayed poem, written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein, we are introduced to two characters that seem to be the “outcasts” of their respective communities. Due to their blue skin, and possibly their peculiar personalities, they find themselves hiding in broad daylight by wearing masks. Due to the fact that they are trying to so much fervor to fit in, they don’t realize that the opportunity for a true friend in this cookie cutter world is right next to them.
How often do you feel as if you are hiding your true personality or your true nature in order to better fit in? Probably too often!
We were not created to cover up who we are! We were not given talents and interests and personalities for the sole purpose of hiding them from the world! Although too often that is exactly what we do; we disguise ourselves.
“How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!”
Since God creates this beautiful world and everything in it with the creativity that stems from such a vast array of thoughts and understandings, it should not be too difficult for us to comprehend that God will create some very unique places and things, including the human race. With that understanding, we should not be afraid to be ourselves; to express ourselves with our true colors on display.

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