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

It was one of those moments when I really pondered the intricacies of the handiwork of God. We discovered fourteen baby turtles in our backyard swimming pool. Though only hours old, they were swimming and enjoying the best of times. Netting them out was no easy chore, but was necessary to save them, as they are not designed to live in pool water.

We got some lake water and put it in a kiddie pool so the little children could see them before releasing them to their natural habitat in the lake. Apparently the mother turtle had made a nest and laid eggs in a flowerbed near the pool and when the little hatchlings broke through the shell, they instinctively headed for the closest water. When we fished them out, they all ran back to the pool.

I awed at God’s creation. Though newborn, they could run, swim and knew to find water. Though less than two inches across, they were intricately designed, with one shell design for males and another for females. They had a little tail that wagged as they swam, four feet with tiny fingernails and head at the end on a long neck which they stuck out to survey their surroundings with their tiny little eyes. When picked up, they went into defense mode and pulled everything back into the shell that had been given to them for protection.

I just stared and marveled at God’s creation, as I thought how much greater is his signature creation on human beings. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139 says to praise Him for our being fearfully and wonderfully made.

As marvelous a creation as they are, God stamps out the little turtles in identical fashion, gender being the only difference, but with human beings, we are all made in his image but all different.

Do you ever look in the mirror and wished you were different? It seems that most of us, in varying degrees, are not happy with the way we were made.

For some of us, it might physical dissatisfaction, while for others it might be that we’re not be smart enough, or outgoing enough, or etc. etc. etc. In verse 14, the psalmist cries out “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

When God created us, He made us exactly the way He planned. When He designed us, before we were even in our mother’s womb, He planned our size, the color of our eyes, the color of our skin, everything about us! We are unique; one of a kind.

Just as He proclaimed His creation good in Genesis 1, He proclaims that we were made perfect in His sight. Our Father in heaven does not make junk! You are fearfully and wonderfully made and God’s work in your life is wonderful! You do not need to conform to somebody else’s image of success, but only ask God for ears to hear His delight in your creation.

By John Grant
used by permission

John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

FURTHUR READING

• Wonderfully Made
• Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by Caran Jantzen
• I Am Made by God

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“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.� Philippians 3:12

It was one of those red letter milestone days, the ones you remember forever. Our youngest received his Juris Doctor degree. I am not sure our family is big enough to handle three “Dr. Grants,� but here we are. Any day when your child graduates is a big day but this one (not unlike the last one) was really special.

Since I had also received the same degree from the same school in the same courtyard, I got to present the diploma. After donning my cap and gown, as we processed in, thoughts came through my head of all that God has blessed me with since I made the same walk forty one years ago.

Then came the big moment……… When his name was called, the Dean handed me the diploma and I in turn presented it to our graduate, but not before giving him a bear hug and whispering in his ear… “Congratulations Dr. Grant, I love you!�

For Jamie and all the other graduates, it marked the conclusion of years of study, but also the beginning of a new chapter of life. That’s why they call it a “commencement,� rather than a “conclusion.� It is a mile marker in life, one that should never be a conclusion of learning new things and meeting new challenges. Life is a journey and like most journeys, it is filled with roadblocks and speed bumps, joys and sorrows and dreams and nightmares.

The important thing is that we never give up growing, learning and most important of all serving others. In Philippians, Paul tells of “pressing on,� and we too should live a life of always reaching for new goals, learning new things and reaching new heights.

Most important of all is that we should use every ounce of every talent that God has given us for this journey of life. As the great humorist Erma Bombeck said: “When I stand before God t the end of my live, I would hope that I would not have single bit of talent left, and could say I used everything you gave me.�

My prayer and life’s ambition is that I will never stop learning and that my tombstone will be my ultimate diploma.
  (a though on life from John Grant )

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