Wednesday Wonder

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and, wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14a)

It’s my birthday. And this partial verse from Psalm 139 often pops into my head on that day. It truly is amazing that we exist. Amazing that we are created in the way we are. We have a body that can do wonderful things. There are even parts of us that are able to regenerate, or are there to provide backup. When my spouse needed a liver transplant, we learned about how the liver can actually regenerate. A living donor can give you part of their liver and both people will have a full size, working liver in about 12 weeks. Awesome! We have two kidneys, but we can live with just one, donating to another means two people can be healthy.

It really is true that we are fearfully, wonderfully made. When we think about all that our bodies go through from birth to the end, it is nothing short of incredible. All that we are able to do and be. All that we are able to think and experience. And we are all the same, yet different! That is often what amazes me most. While there are growth charts and lists of milestones that growing humans should meet, every child does so differently, and at different times than the ‘norm’. What seems to be most ‘normal’ is that we are all completely different. There may be a majority of people who do things in a particular way, but not everyone. We laugh about it after each check up for my grandson. He is rather taller and heavier than he is supposed to be by the charts. He has had to move into a ‘big boy’ bed because he was too tall for the crib. A little ahead of schedule apparently. Not his schedule!

When my birthday rolls around each year, I tend to take stock by comparing myself, my accomplishments, my body, etc. with those of others my age. I am trying not to do that anymore. I am unique. I have been through things others my age have not. I do not do the same job, have the same family, see the world the same way as everyone else my age. And maybe that is the wisdom that comes with age. To just accept ourselves as we are, in all our glory, or not. But it is in all our glory. We are a testament to the glory of the Creator. As an old poster that used to hang in my office said, “God don’t make junk.” I am not junk. Neither are you. We may have days where we feel about ready for the junk heap, but that doesn’t make us junk.

Someone asked me if I was going to get my hair coloured as a birthday present to myself. You know, to cover up the grey. Told them that I earned each and every one of these grey hairs. Not going to cover them up. I wear them with pride. They tell the world that I have seen things, done things, and have wisdom to share. At least that’s what I tell myself when I look in the mirror.

How do I feel being a year older? About the same. The last year was a rather tough one, but I came through with what I consider flying colours.

The thing about life is, we don’t ever do it all alone. Why did I come through the last year so well? Because I had the support of so many to help me. Why am I growing in wisdom and not just years? Because I have the chance to share the wisdom of so many every day. Why can I look at the next year as one of possibility? Because I have a community of people who are travelling with me, have similar interests, dreams and values.

Thank you all, for being part of my last year. And please come with me on the journey of this next one. The possibilities are endless, especially when we come together. After all, the psalmist wasn’t just talking about themselves. They were talking about all of us, no matter who we are, what we can or can’t do, where we are going and what we want out of life. We must all remember, that ALL of us are…

“fearfully and wonderfully made.”