"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made ..." (Psalm. 139:14)
Have you ever watched a bird perch after a long flight? No matter the distance it has flown – whether a couple of feet or hundreds of miles – it will come to a smooth, effortless, unruffled stop. Ever seen a bird panting and gasping after a long flight, trying to catch its breath? Neither have I!
Contrast that with the last flight you took. Remember those few agonizing minutes, just before the pilot brought the plane down to land? The stress and tension, the tightly gripped armrests, the butterflies in the stomach, the popping ears? Then that one moment of suspense as the tires finally touched down on the tarmac, and the pilot applied the brakes so hard that your gut got up close and personal with your spine? The experience of man flying – and landing – is seemingly so precarious that, quite often, passengers will break out into a spontaneous round of relieved applause once the plane is safely on the ground!
There’s no contesting the fact that powered flight, as invented and refined by man over the years, is a technological marvel. And yet, if he could speak, I guess our little feathered friend above would shake his head in bemusement and exclaim: “And you call that flying …?!”
Let’s face it – we are not by nature designed to fly. Or swim, for that matter. It is said that, when it comes to swimming, humans are such energy wasting machines, the best swimmers in this world only attain 9-10% energy efficiency in comparison to a fish, for example. The rest of us average mortals do well if we attain 4% efficiency. True story!
But we are designed to do some amazing things, nonetheless. Did you know, for example, that when you are awake, your brain generates enough energy to power a light bulb? That’s probably why, when you have an “Aha” moment, it is often equated to “seeing the light”. Somewhere deep in the recesses of your brain a light bulb suddenly comes on …
My pastor has an adorable little son who bears a striking resemblance to his mother. One Sunday morning, after the church service, I had a friendly go at him (my pastor, that is). “Man, you really lost out this time!” I told him. “I really feel for you, bro. Perhaps he’s got your feet..? Ah, well, better luck next time!” We had a good laugh over it. He’s a nice guy, my pastor.
Let’s think about it for a moment, though. Even with our resemblance to our parents or siblings, each one of us remains unique. You are an original – one of a kind. When God made you, He broke the mold! There has never been and will never be another you. Created for a purpose and destined for greatness, only you can fulfil the unique plan that God devised when He made you!
The butterfly song, by Brian M. Howard, is known and loved by children around the world. The first verse of the song goes as follows:
If I were a butterfly I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings If I were a robin in a tree I’d thank you Lord that I could sing If I were a fish in the sea I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee But I just thank you Father for making me, me!(By the way, while we are on the subject of butterflies – someone asked a question the other day: “If humans get butterflies in their stomach when they fall in love, does it also mean that, when they are in love, butterflies get humans in their stomachs …?” Interesting thought, that!)
And speaking of butterflies – isn’t it amazing the sheer variety of them to be found flitting and floating around at Maisha, looking very much like flowers that can fly? But I digress … (That was just a brief commercial!)
Psalm 139:13-14 puts it very well when it says:
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.We may not be butterflies – but we are pretty awesome, nonetheless. Let us delight in our uniqueness and in the miraculous masterpieces that we are. Let each day of our lives be a declaration of praise and an expression of gratitude, forever glorifying God and joining the little ones in singing: “I just thank you Father for making me, me!”
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