It's a Lie, Don't You Believe It

Max Lucado, in his children’s book, “You are Special”, tells a story about a people called the Wemmicks who spend their days placing stars and dots on each other, to determine the worth and value of each person in the village. Gold stars are granted to the pretty and talented ones, and gray dots are stuck on those who can do little, are flawed, or perceived as less in value than the others. In the story, a Wemmick named Punchinello is the target of ridicule and scorn, his wooden body covered in gray dots. Punchinello strives to get a gold star, yearning for acceptance and unconditional love. It’s not until he meets Eli, the woodcarver who created him, that he understands how special he is, even with the flaws covered by dots.


I can appreciate and completely agree with W.C. Fields comment, “It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to”. For so many of us, we have allowed our spirits to be conditioned by what others have called us, just as Punchinello allowed his worth and value to be determined by the dots others put upon him. Accepting ourselves as a wonderfully made creation by a Loving Creator takes believing in who we are through the Creators eyes, not through the eyes of those in our experiences, whether they be our family of origin, the bullies from our school days, the ridiculed betrayal of a once close friend, the pain of a once endeared love, or from the Wemmicks in our life.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” - Eleanor Roosevelt. To accept the greatness of self we must accept the greatness of the God who is our Father and embrace His view of who we are. God doesn’t tell us we are inferior, even when mean spirited people, family members, and yes, even misguided Christians, preach these words into our being. God tells us that he knew us before we were born, that we are created in His image, that we are wonderfully made. My God is not a creator of substandard garbage, and I hope you can realize that neither is yours.

Like Punchinello, who needed to spend time with Eli to realize his worth, we must spend time with our Creator to understand and accept who we are, in His eyes. Acceptance of self is really acceptance of our place with Jesus as our Savior, God as our King, and His Spirit as our Guide. In our acceptance, we must realize it rests with our Master, not with His other creations.

George Orwell wrote that, “Happiness can exist only in acceptance”. And I feel that in that acceptance, one can embrace the truth that leads to joy that exists no matter what the external life may bring to the eternal being. “For God So Loved The World…”; always remember that you are part of that world.


(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)

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