I am wonderfully made!

"I praise you because I am wonderfully made!" Psalm 139:14

It's a verse that we teach to kids hoping that they know they are perfect. A verse that I learned when I was little. A verse that I've heard a million times. But though I have heard it time and time again, I couldn't help but tear up at hearing them say it.

When our team started thinking about what Bible verse to teach the SCH kids during English camp, no one disagreed that Psalm 139:14 should be it. For kids who have been given up because of their physical or mental disabilities, there's nothing better for them to know. As we planned, all I could think about was what a perfect verse for kids who are just that: perfect.

When you first meet the SCH kids, it would be easy to notice some of their disabilities, but when you get to know them, all that fades away and you recognize just how amazing they are. God certainly made them wonderful. He stitched them together and knew their lives before they were even born. He knew the struggles and heartaches they would face, but I think He gave them an extra helping of strength and perseverance to get them through it to where they are today.

I can't get out of my mind them learning that verse at camp last week and hoping that they understood what it said and never forget it. I loved watching my schoolgirls learn it as Phoebe who is blind would repeat it fully believing that she is wonderful, and Paula who is physically handicapped learned that God made her perfectly.

Phoebe finger painting

Paula

It was sweet as we worked with the schoolboys and watched them teach each other in the ways that they knew their friends needed to learn. For Jason who is hearing impaired, Judah would sit close to him and repeat each word for him in his ear. For the smaller boys, Christopher, who is older, would repeat it one word at a time until they could remember it. It was beautiful.

Jason

Judah and Jason eating mac 'n cheese

Christopher

Reflecting on last week, I pray these kids never forget how wonderful they are; that there never comes a time in their lives where they question whether God made them perfectly. I pray the same for you and me also. As we go through this life facing all the pressures of society to be perfect, I hope we never wonder about God's perfect plans for us. I fully believe that He orders our steps, whether we know it or not, and that we can never go where He is not already there. His plans are good and for that reason I hope that I will praise Him all the days of my life because like Phoebe, Paula, Jason, Christopher, Judah, you and all the SCH kids, "I am wonderfully made!"