Unique by Design

I was knit together in my mother's womb. That thought is awesome by itself, but to think that I was planned by God down to the tiniest atom in my DNA is mind-boggling.

I got to thinking about that this morning when I plopped down on my sofa, Bible in hand, coffee on the side. What triggered the thought was the stack of fabric on one end of the sofa, clean, ironed and ready to be cut, sewn, and stuffed with toiletries for our homeless friends in Texas. My motto for the bags is "No two alike, making it practical and personal."

I am in a mini paradise in my dining room where sits Rose's sewing maching on loan, a plethora of drawstring bags in various stages of production. I love to take tow, three, four or five pieces and put them together for an aesthetically pleasing ending. Some bags are all one piece, as they are least time consuming. Some are feminine, some appeal to men, and still others are going to make kids' eyes light up.
My daughter is making sure there are teen-friendly bags in the mix, too.

This particular stack is one my mom's friend gave her to pass on to me. I am tempted to keep some of it, but I won't. There's a Chinese red print with a pale mint green going through it. How classy it looks with the pale green solid sitting on top of it. Above the solid green is what I'd call European homespun. Navy blue hearts, black toile pictures, burgundy fleur de lis. So many possibilities to mixing it with other fabrics. Then my favorite is a retro floral print. Got those 70s colors going through it--periwinkle lilacs, tangerine daisies, and lime green leaves. Then there's a conservative earth tone stripe in rich chenille. Another one features a thousand white crows in rows on a tar black background.

The fabric was lovely. Lovely but distracting. Yet God used it to remind me of His pure delight in making individuals. Some of us are rich, some are homespun. Some speak with a foreign accent, reminding us of other nations in God's hand. One is lightweight and easy to work with; another is heavy and less manageable. Some are ones that men wouldn't mind having on their arm; others are way too fussy. Some are dizzyingly busy, some are plain and plodding. Most of us want to be "practical" to God in the sense of being used of Him in loving service. Service that is personal because of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Yet no two of us are alike. God made us unique. Sounds so cliche, but when WAS the last time you thought about it? I mean down to the details? Your voice may sound like your mom's, but it's yours. Your hair may have a funny cowlick just like your dad's. You may have thick veins in your hands or a mouth that turns down when you're in deep thought. All of those characteristics were part of the Great Designer's plan.

I have four children, yet all four are unique. How dull our family would be if all were identical. Even if you're an identical twin, I'll bet there are MANY differences between you and your twin.

I am praying that each man, woman, and child who receive our kits will give thanks to God alone for thinking of them. When they carry their kits-- "no two alike"--even the Scooby Doo ones which appear to be the same-- they will consider God's creativity and sheer delight in making them unique.