I love Max Lucado's book, You Are Special... In the story he tells the tale of these wooden people called,Wemmicks. They go around putting stars and dots on one another based on looks and performance.
We are introduced to a character by the name, Punchinello. Punchinello is one of the Wemmicks that has been given many dots.
The thoughts and opinions of man... The accolades and the detractions ....
We are also introduced to another character who intrigues Punchinello. This other character has no dots but neither does she have stars....
And he wonders why....
Her answer is simple and without explanation ... Every day she goes to see Eli, the wood carver, who created all the Wemmicks....
As the story progresses Punchinello makes his own journey to Eli and within that portion of the story comes some of my favorite passages....
The one thing Punchinello is the most curious about is why that other wemmick has no stars or dots....
Eli speaks truth to the questioning wemmick and then comes one of my favorite lines ..... "The stickers only stick if they matter to you...."
Punchinello came apologizing to Eli that he had so many dots... And Eli responded .." oh you don't have to defend yourself to me,child. I don't care what the other wemmicks think." later Eli adds... " They are Wemmicks just like you... What they think doesn't matter..."
It both confuses and confounds the main character, Punchinello... But by the end of the story he begins to get it...
"The stickers only stick if they matter to you..."
They used to matter to me immensely ... Not just the proverbial dots but also the stars.... If so and so is willing to give me a star then I must be something.... But that same so and so can take that star away and then who am I left as?
I have seen people crumble as favor has left or been taken away...
As the fancies of a man goes from individual to individual and reduces human beings to no more than puppy dogs begging for a treat or fighting with liter mates as to which one will get the next touch or cookie.....
But the realities of identity are that they are set and certain .... They are!!!! If we will go... If we will be
Who I am is not determined by the whims of any other's opinions or fancies or notions....
Who I am is who I was fashioned and created to be ... And that is something that can not be altered or changed by any other human..
I honestly never truly thought I would stand in this place ... This place of being defined mostly ( I say mostly because I am moving forward within it all) but not just the dots have fallen off but now so have the stars.... And I love this place!!!!! I love this place!!!!
The freedom...
The liberty ....
The hope.... The joy..... The delight
My failures don't define me.... My successes don't define me... Where I live... What I do... Whatever gift I might bear.... Or not bear..... My husband doesn't... My children don't ...
Nothing defines me but Him.... And I LOVE ... Screaming it at the top of my lungs ... I love the way He defines me...
Love it!!!!
I don't do anything to exist within His definition .... Not one solid thing... That which He says about me He would say about me... He would say about you ... REGARDLESS of any thought, behavior or action we ever did ...
We are all .... ALL... Together beautiful and there is not a spot or dot or blemish .... He has called us His own... He delights in us.. He is passionate over us...
He who called the universe into being and formed and fashioned the stars and holds all things together says you are altogether lovely and that there is no blemish on you... Are you going to call the one who does not ever lie... A liar?
No stars... You can keep them... Oh and those dots .. Well ... While there might be truth in them they do not define me nor will I carry them upon my person....
I will carry upon my person the thoughts and opinions of my Lord and His words and affections are made sure and His assessment of me is amazing
May you have eyes to see how you are seen because I'll tell you this... It hasn't just revolutionized my heart and my life ... I've been empowered to see others as He does and surrender my thoughts and my opinions and truly live those He places along my path
Ah ... To have eyes to see His higher ways... May we all be lifted up and drawn into Him
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