Special in God’s Eyes
“For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:13-16 ESV)
Have you ever wished you were taller, shorter, thinner, more articulate, prettier, or possessed a skill you admire in others? Frankly, that happens to me more often than I’d like to admit. I’m a fairly confident individual, yet there are times my self-assurance falters because of a perceived failing on my part, and I second-guess my value as a person.
I’m three years younger than my older brother, who in my estimation is one of the smartest people I know. A blessing until I had to follow him in high school and be reminded of his accomplishments by teachers. Then came my career in the Washington, DC area where getting ahead and being the “best of the best” was the goal of every young professional. Evidence of success were a big house, expensive car, fancy job title, and hefty salary. One year, I was laid off because the company I was working for closed, and I was so embarrassed I didn’t tell anyone, even those I considered close friends.
According to Theodore Roosevelt, “comparison is the thief of joy,” and since my days in Washington I’ve learned the validity of that statement. It was a long journey and included more than a few setbacks, however, I now rest in the fact that I have value not because of who I am, but because of WHOSE I am. I am God’s creation, and so are you. As such, we are special and have value. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and we don’t need a list of accomplishments to prove our worth.
I explored this theme in Spies & Sweethearts: A WWII Christian Romance, the first in my Sisters in Service series featuring Emily Strealer, the youngest of three sisters. She struggles with feelings that she doesn’t measure up and constantly strives to demonstrate her merit. When war comes to the U.S., she joins the Office of Strategic Services as a way to outdo her sisters and show once and for all that she’s as important as they are. But her plan doesn’t quite work out as anticipated.
A secret mission. A fake bride. A run for their lives.
According to the OSS training manual, the life expectancy of a radio operator in Nazi-occupied France is six weeks. Partnered with one of the agency’s top spies, Gerard Lucas, newly-minted agent Emily Strealer plans to beat those odds. Then their cover is blown, and all bets are off. The border to neutral Switzerland is three hundred miles away–a long way to run with SS soldiers on their heels. Will Emily and Gerard survive the journey and get home?
Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda enjoys exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.
You can find her online here:
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