He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:18
Each day as Eli grows and begins to conquer new things, I have learned to see him in a whole new light. Not to say that I wasn’t already a proud parent or super pumped about the things he was or is doing, but just watching him grow, trying new things makes me want to completely brag him up. Like when he first started walking or saying dada, I couldn’t wait to tell my friends about it. Or when people see Eli and tell me how much he has my smile or Lindsey’s face, I just want to be like, “yep, that’s right, that’s my boy.” The first time he climbed the stairs to the first time he smiled to the first time he took a poop (Okay maybe not then). I think my kid is one of the most awesome, incredible kids I have ever seen.
To be honest before he was born and Lindsey would look at babies and tell me how cute they were, I never really saw it. But of course I would just go along with what she was saying and make comments like, yeah look at those chubby cheeks, or look at those faces. In all reality though, my thoughts were more like man what are they feeding that child, or I have no clue what you see, but I just see another baby. Talk about a change in perspective when that child is your own.
The more that Eli learns to do, and as I continue to watch him grow, I see him as a perfect masterpiece! His smile, his personality, his laugh, his face, his noises, everything! The kid is just stinking awesome.
I will never forget when we took him snowboarding for the first time at 13 months. Here we are at the ski lodge getting him all geared up and to be honest he looked like the kid in Christmas Story, all bundled up and unable to move. There were people all around us watching and wondering if we were really taking our kid out at that age to try. As we got outside you could look up and see the windows of the lodge lined with people around to watch him. To see this little man who could barely walk not getting strapped on to a snowboard. Guess what? He did it. I am telling you our lil man was a natural. Smiling and loving it. I would set him down and let him go and then run in front of him. What a proud moment. Especially when you hear the next day in his opinion for our kid to be snowboarding is “impossible, he shouldn’t have that kind of balance yet.”
[wpvideo vzcWao74]
Now it may sound like I am being a little biased and maybe I am, but I’m saying all these things about Eli for a reason. I am bragging him up and making him sound perfect in every way because I believe that is exactly how God sees you. You were not a mistake. As we said earlier, you were fearfully and wonderfully made, every aspect.
With Eli’s birth and seeing God’s creation take that first breath, God has shown me that he sees each and every child the way I see Eli. As his first fruit of all creation, as his crown, as his masterpiece. Look around the world at all other things that God has made. Those amazing sunsets every night. The Mountain peaks as you drive across the plains and see the Rockies for the first time. The sight and sound of the Niagara Falls, all these natural wonders that God made. Yet Scripture tells us we are his first fruits.
How about all the birds of the air and all their wonderful colors or the beauty that is found in the all the wildflowers. All of these don’t equal the relationship that God has and desires with each and every one of us. I may sound like I am exaggerating this but truly look back at Scripture. James tells us that we are his first fruit. In The Message, Eugene Peterson describes us as “his crown jewel.” I have also hear it described or translated as His Masterpiece.
Now when I hear the word masterpiece, it makes me think of like the Mona Lisa, a true masterpiece in art. I am not a big art person, so I really do not understand what makes this piece such a masterpiece, but I have been told it is. I have a very simple, naive mind, and when I see a picture of the Mona Lisa, I just see a picture of a grumpy woman. Apparently though to art critics this piece represents so much more. A piece of history, a crown painting, a masterpiece.
That is how God sees you and me. Since Eli has been born I am continually reminded that the pride I have in him and the way I see him is the way God looks down on us. I can only imagine him looking at all of us and saying “WOW, Look, what I have made this time.” You are His prized treasure, his creation, his masterpiece. Will you see yourself that way today?
0 thoughts on “You are God’s Masterpiece”