Super Special Because of Who Created Us

Happy 13th Birthday, Super Bryson! So my precious Bryson, the youngest of my seven awesome grandkids, turns a big 13! What??? He’s a teenager now! How can it be? This boy that still holds my hand when we walk and still wants to sleep with me in that big king-sized bed in the guest bedroom. Oh, the joy he gives his Nana! His birthday is the day after his Papa’s graduation to heaven. How befitting that one day meant an earth to heaven departure and the next day represents a heaven on earth celebration of the life of a sweet boy who fills me up with so much joy.

I celebrated with him last week when I was in Austin while his mom and dad were away. This morning, he’ll open this birthday card and some dosh left over from the hat he wanted at Crux Climbing Center and the yo-yo – and, I might add -- that he has mastered quite amazingly – he’s got the “around-the-world” trick down that I taught him. This card awaits him this morning when the family will have their traditional "special plate" breakfast. This card represents last year that was filled with him taking his love for climbing trees, houses, poles, rock walls and fences (anything climbable) and taking it to a whole new level at the climbing wall gyms and yesterday, literally climbing a mountain with his instructor.

He still wants me to tell him "Super Bryson" stories at bedtime, but 13 means he tells me "Super Nana" stories. The most recent one was about Super Nana and how she was about to battle a bad guy that came out of a volcano but she had to put the bad guy on "pause" because she had to go write a blog. LOL! She finished the blog and went back and annialiated the bad guy. No question -- that story is inspired by them seeing me so devoted to my blogging!

While I'm celebrating my sweet boy's birthday today, I'm thinking about the most important thing we can do for others is to celebrate them and help them to know THEY MATTER. Why does it matter? Because it matters to our Creator. He specifically planned each of us individually and uniquely with the funny little quirky smile we might have, the color of our hair and eyes, the freckles on our nose. We are so special that His eyes are on us ALL the time. He knows everything about us. We're His special treasures......and He thinks about us ALL THE TIME....so shouldn't we think about others in a way that God uses our arms to hug them, our mouths to tell them how special and beautiful they are. After all, they're our sisters and our brothers in this royal family of God. I can't explain it in mere words, but God can, and here's why I am PRO-LIFE and what makes us ALL so SUPER special to Him:

Psalm 139:1-5;13-18 "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book! How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!"

And God Said, "Ta-da!"

When my granddaughter was little, she loved wearing princess dresses. Right from the start, she was introduced to princess-dom because her room and crib were all arrayed in princess décor. Even at our home, we had a frilly, girly room with all kinds of reminders of how special she was to us. After all, she was our only granddaughter, amongst five boys. So Alexia knew, right from the start, that she was special. Even today, we continue to remind her how beautiful, precious and special she is.

I thought about all that when I read an article by one of my favorite authors, Liz Curtis Higgs. The article was entitled “And God Said, “Ta da!”

I love that. God made the earth. God made the stars, the moon, the oceans, the dry ground. He made man and woman. And the scripture that followed was “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31). In essence, God said, “Ta da!” It’s like the dramatic entrance of royalty into the court when a servant announces “I present to you…..” God made the announcement “What I made is very good! Ta da! And THAT includes YOU!”

My post today is to remind all my friends that God says “Ta-da! I present (add your name here) and I call her/him very good!” Maybe you’re not feeling so “ta da-ish” today, but maybe you should. Psalm 149:4 says “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people.” You bring Him pleasure. Maybe you don’t feel so beautiful, but maybe you need to be looking at YOU through your Father’s eyes. He doesn’t simply accept you, forgive you or put up with you. He delights in you. Think about this “As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will God rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:5

My grandson will be marrying his precious fiancé on October 1st. I can hardly wait to see the look in his eyes when she comes down the aisle. It will, no doubt be a “Ta-da!” moment. You better believe that he’ll be rejoicing over his bride…….but nothing can compare to the rejoicing that God has over us.

When God looks at you and me, He doesn’t evaluate us based on our family history, or how cute and spunky we are, or how popular we are. He doesn’t consider our education, our resume OR even our bank balance. What may impress others, doesn’t impress God. None of that changes how He values us. In fact, whether we behave well, or not, His love for us is unconditional. He doesn’t love us because we’re wealthy or smart or good. He loves us because we’re HIS! “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called Children of God” 1 John 3:1

I started this post out talking about my granddaughter and how she has grown up knowing how precious and special she is to us. Let me give YOU some good news. God says “YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and precious and special – not just slightly attractive, but BEAUTIFUL. My mom used to say “Pretty is as pretty does.” I remember those words and they are true, but whether we are on our best behavior or not, God sees us BEAUTIFUL, because we look JUST LIKE OUR DAD. “God (Dad) created mankind in His own image.” Genesis 1:27. And that includes you AND me.

God doesn’t compare us to others. We are a unique work of His creation. And we are His definition of BEAUTIFUL. Isn’t it time we see ourselves as God sees us?

Maybe it’s time for us to stand in front of the mirror (this exercise may work better with clothes on – LOL!) and say it like we mean it…..”Ta-da!” And the ultimate “Ta-da” comes when we know that we know that our Father is holding his outstretched arms and announcing His daughter or son with the greatest pride and joy any Father could have “I see what I have made, and she/he is VERY GOOD!”