Wonderfully made

by Pastor Tom

“For you did form my inward parts. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for you are fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are your works!”

-Psalm 139:13-14

Every now and then I make an attempt at woodworking. Typically, I get an idea in my head for some amazing creation, and then think about it for a while. My last project consisted of a box-type, framed shelf to fill a hole in the wall in the bathroom where an old, rusty medicine cabinet had been.

I began with some precision measuring. I tend to cut a piece of wood over and over, only to discover that it’s still too short (an old carpenter’s line). Anyway, I cut the wood and formed the box with shelves, then glued and nailed it together. So far, so good. To trim the unit, I had to cut out a frame, and that involved angles, which also involved complicated mathematical computations. Well, they were complicated for me. After cutting the pieces, I was delighted, and somewhat surprised, to find that they fit together really well. I then installed this magnificent creation and carefully applied a coat of paint. The grand finale came when I was able to show off the finished product to my wife, who promptly told me that it was perhaps the greatest woodworking project of all time. I frequently drag house guests down the hall and into the bathroom so that they, too, can be dazzled by my woodworking wizardry.

It’s really great to conceive an idea, plan a project, and carry it out to a successful conclusion. I think creativity is something we get from God because God is creative, and opportunities to be creative are to be embraced whenever possible. They provide us with reward and satisfaction, and also are a great blessing to others.

Well, let me ask you a question. What do you think God had on his mind the day he created you? Really, what was he thinking? Were you just an afterthought? Did God design you and create you for, well, no good reason? Did God finish putting you together and then think, “Hmm, that’s nothing special.”

I’m pretty sure that God was thinking some beautiful, wonderful things about you as he formed you in your mother’s womb. God knew of your potential as he designed the miraculous creation that would be you. There would be no other like you in all of human history. All of God’s works are wonderful, and you are one of God’s works.

It’s really something to produce a wonderful creation. And, if we take time to think about it, it’s really something to be one.