You Are Special by Max Lucado introduced the world to the Wemmicks. For those of you who don’t know these delightful kids’ stories, I shall summarize. They are about a group of wooded people called the Wemmicks who all live in a village overlooked by a house on the hill where the a woodworker named Eli lives (Eli carved all the Wemmicks). We follow one in particular named Punchinello as he struggles through his daily life.
This story is about Wemmicks who either give you a star or a dot, a star being they approve of you; a dot being otherwise. Punchinello always receives dots so he’s depressed. He meets another Wemmick named Lucia who has no dots and he wonders why. She tells him to go and see Eli.
Eli explains: “I don’t care what the other Wemmicks think. What they think doesn’t matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special.”
Punchinello says he doesn’t understand.
“You will,” Eli says. “Just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care. And remember you are special because I made you. And I don’t make mistakes.”
It’s not hard to see the analogy to God here.
This is so what I needed to hear. It doesn’t matter what others think (my concern with others judging my writing). It only matters what God thinks and what God wants. And if you come to Him, you will know and understand.
Powerful story brought to a kids level that even adults get life truths from.
Read that book to my niece who is three. I love it and so does she!!
Good Morning Beautiful 🙂
Atoz, I hope I can write this the way that I feel.
In the Max Lucado story there is God versus what the world thinks for this little creature. Our creator says we’re special. Most of us don’t even have your gift. I mean, you write, send it to the editor and he loves it. You write here, and 38 people took the time to reply to you about the job and wrote of your talent.
Most of us don’t get 38 people.
Which is fine. Really. Because most of us have far more than that (and I’m sure you do too) that we know nothing of that would give us stars.
Have you ever been to a funeral where stories are told and you (someone close to the deceased person) hear stories that you never heard before?
When my Mom died, there was a story about her staying up all night when she found out a relative had no communion dress…and making one for her. My Mom never mentioned that to me. Why? Probably because to her it was no big deal. It was one night. She just did what anyone would do. It was her talent. Yet, all those years later (and I’m guessing about 50 years) it still stuck in that relative’s heart as amazing.
Your babies are young yet. But one thing you will discover is that what they remember…much of it…you won’t. What you register in your brain that was amazing or exciting about their childhood…it won’t have registered with them. And the stories they tell about what they remember, or what mattered to them..you MAY remember…but you won’t have given the significance to it that they do. It was just what you did.
Our perspective is so limited and our vision/memory so determined by our…prejudices (if that’s that right word) that to view ourselves accurately is impossible. That is why God judges us.
Yes, what we’ve all done will be revealed when we are judged. And we think, “OH NO!”…because we can think of a thousand things we aren’t real thrilled that we’ve done…but God has a balance that we do not. Also, I think will play the way we impacted others and had no clue or recall that we did.
No one is ordinary. Not one. Even the people we don’t like.
As we grow…becoming more like Christ…our vision of others changes. Instead of seeing what is wrong or being unable to forgive …we begin to look at people, trusting the creator…that there is something in them that we’re just not seeing.
And the paths crossing between us and that other person…God knew about.
I think…in the end…all of our ordinary lives…won’t be ordinary when seen through the Creator’s eyes.
Many hugs from HOT Chicago at 4:30 a.m….
Nanyc
Well said, as usual, Nancy. I like your memory part. When I talk to my twin sister, it’s funny because she remembers things I don’t and vice versa even though we had the same experiences growing up. Funny how the mind works, isn’t it?
What’s important to me now is probably no big deal to my kids. After all, the most important part of their day is playing. I do all the worrying, planning, etc.
Happy 4th and stay cool!
Hugs!
May I reccomend a wonderful book for you to read? It’s called “The View from Saturday” by E. L. Konigsburg. Your children may be too young, but I think you will absolutely love it. It’s one of those books where the subject matter is so much more than the plot description. Enjoy!
Thanks! I’ll check it out!
It sound great i might have to check it out. Thanks for sharing this with us all.