I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. So stop being so fearful and express some wonder at how incredible God made you.
~~~~~~~
This is a quilt I just finished for a new baby named Alexandra.
She was actually born in the spring but because of scheduled projects and time constraints I procrastinated.
Actually, I had an idea in my head as to what I wanted to do for little Alexandra, but fear stopped me. I had all the material (scraps from previous projects), but the idea of an actual quilt held me back. What if the final project doesn't turn out the way it appears in my head? What if I can't get all those little squares to line up perfectly? What if...?
I think that it was God's providence that I was to create this quilt this week as I contemplated Fear and Wonder and Psalm 139:14.
I thought about how easy it is to have fear and wonder around the event that is childbearing and babies. Just getting pregnant is an act of God! The whole reproductive process that takes place within the womb is wonderfully and fearfully creative!
After nine months a sweet child is born. This child is the very face of hope! Who will she be? What will she do? Her future is wide open.
New beginnings always fill us with optimism.
So it goes with fear and wonder while experiencing new life. We can easily look at others and see the work of God.
The thing is that God's creative wonders don't stop after we are born. They continue.
He created us each uniquely.
I was thinking about this as I read about Michael Phelps this week. His body is perfectly fashioned for moving through the water, and yet not everything has been "perfect". Having been diagnosed with ADHD as a child, his single mother sought to find a way to burn off the extra energy that flowed through his body.
God obviously knew what He was doing when he created the world's greatest swimmer in history thus far. What our culture might consider a "disability" or a "problem", has actually served a greater purpose.
God's creative fear and wonder is not just reserved for world-class Olympians, but is also at work in you. In me.
All God's works are wonderful.
This week as I was sewing I began to experience the joy that comes from creating. As the 5x5 pieces of scraps began to look like the quilt I'd envisioned, I began to get excited. I was able to get a microscopic glimpse of what God must feel when He creates something so much more important: human life.
In light of all these thoughts, I began to think about ways in which I allow my fear to stifle who I am; how I allow too much focus on things that I don't enjoy about myself become roadblocks to the praise God deserves for making me unique. I often allow thoughts of self to get in the way of what God has created me to be and to do.
I can be just as excited about the things that make me who I am today, as I am about the hope and promise I see when I look in the eyes of a baby.
~~~~~
If you are following along in the True Campaign I would love to hear what God has taught you on the subject of Fear and Wonder.
For those of you who are new to the blog, especially those who may have found this blog through the True Campaign I would love you to hear from you.
And as always, for those who are lurking (and I don't mind that you are!), but have wanted to be a part of the True Campaign I encourage you to go sign up for the True updates.
La Vida Dulce!
10 comments:
I remember memorizing that Psalm in junior high; it's stuck with me all these years and is one of my favorites!
Beautiful quilt!
the quilt is absolutely beautiful! You do good work!!
Beautiful quilt and thoughts, Kellie! We got into a deep, long and kind of heated discussion this morning in Sunday School about valuing life -- not heated in the way you would think that life isn't valuable. More like, if we as Christians truly, truly believe life is sacred and a gift from God as we always say, why aren't Christians doing *more* than just talking and voting?
Beautiful quilt and thoughts, Kellie! We got into a deep, long and kind of heated discussion this morning in Sunday School about valuing life -- not heated in the way you would think that life isn't valuable. More like, if we as Christians truly, truly believe life is sacred and a gift from God as we always say, why aren't Christians doing *more* than just talking and voting?
Well said! I love how you tied the story of the quilt in. It is beautiful, by the way. But I know what you mean...so often I have hesitated to begin something because I am afraid that the end result won't measure up to the idea in my head.
beautiful thoughts -- oh but for the fear...
What a beautiful quilt; you rocked those 5x5 squares my friend.
I'm well-versed on how fear can cripple. I think fear is exactly what has been holding me back in trying to get my book published. I have plenty of other excuses, no doubt, but fear, I think trumps them all. The fear that it's just not good enough for the book shelves. When you pour your heart into something, the possibility of it being subpar truly is crippling. Maybe your example will serve as inspiration to me...
God Bless you for this post. I really needed to read this. I had a panic attack last night due to fear. I have started having them since I became ill. I started to pray and I knew that God could calm me and he did. I woke up this morning realizing that there is something that I am not trusting him with and I believe it is my health. I felt so ashamed that I let me self lose control and panic when God is here watching over me. I need to restart learning these verses to give me strength. You are such an encouarger and a blessing to me.
BTW- Great work on the quilt!
wow that quilt is lovely - I would love to be able to do that.
Hi, lovely to find your site - so good to read some positive stuff instead of all the negative/destructive things that are out there!
Thx!
Psalm 139 means so much to me!
Jenny (from England)
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