Recently I’ve been introduced to a spate of new babies. It’s an interesting process to view a baby; everyone stands around oohing and ahhing and making remarks like, “How precious”; “How cute”; “How beautiful”.
Most often I feel like truthfully declaring: “That baby is Walmart-butt ugly”.
I mean com’on, most newborns have squashed looking malformed heads right after they’re born and are far from beautiful. The Ivory snow babies are rare indeed and in fact I think they airbrush those photos to make them appear blemish free. I was standing there looking at this little baby the other day and its head looked weird and semi-squashed. What small amount of hair it had looked ragged and matted like a mange infested dog, and all around his eyes there were red splotches with bruises that no doubt came from the instruments used in the birthing process. It couldn’t focus its eyes and reminded me of some drunks I’ve seen.
I mean come on, it was ugly.
Of course everyone was making a big deal out of him and exclaiming how pretty he was and just then the little tyke emitted white stringy looking puke all down its face. I almost gagged at the foul looking/smelling mess. Then it started wailing an ear splitting screaming fit. Everyone else who was standing around had big smiles on their faces; I looked at my watch as though I was about to miss an important meeting and bolted for the nearest door.
During high school my brother worked for the highway department in the summer. Most of its employees were rough looking uneducated men who worked hard in the sun all day. His foreman came in talking about his newborn baby boy one morning and told my brother about him.
Jim said that the foreman excitedly described his newborn son in this manner, “Most every baby I ever did see was as ugly as an iguana, but I swear to you that little boy is the purty-est baby I ever did see – Looks just like me!”
Though that incident happened decades ago, I still remember it like it was yesterday. My brother would imitate his southern drawl and repeat, “That little boy is the purty-est baby I ever did see – Looks just like me!” and then he would howl with laughter.
I was thinking about this today and I was reminded how Jesus looks at us. No matter how we look or what we’ve done He loves us beyond the pale. So many folks I know have such low esteem. It’s ridiculous because your Creator thinks you are the bomb! Jesus loves us with a love that we cannot even comprehend, even when we throw up, mess in our pants, have malformed heads, or pitch a fit.
He is always there for us and has promised to be with us throughout eternity. Psalms 139:14 states: “For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . .
Three things to note here are that
1. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
2. God formed us in the womb and abortion is wrong.
3. We should give thanks to God for the way we are made.
So if you lament that you aren’t a blond, or a redhead or maybe slick headed bald, or if your nose is too long, fat, or wide, or you are too short or tall, or skinny or porked up, or your head didn’t ever normalize and is still oddly shaped, don’t sweat it. God looks at you and oohs and ahhs. He made us just the way He wants us and we should be appreciative.
And don’t be afraid to boldly go through life with your head held high.
Have a great weekend and go to Honey Lake Church, (or somewhere), this Sunday.
Deut. 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
April 25, 2014 – Click here to listen