Stars and Dots

Some days we get stars, some days we get dots. Have you ever wished that what people thought of you wouldn't affect you so much?

Hey GEM girls! I think as human beings we have all felt that way at some point or another. We inherently want people to like us, which is not wrong! But somewhere along the way we slowly start to base our self-worth on what people think or say about us. Let me tell you a little story...

When I was small my mother used to read me a book called, "You are Special" by Max Lucado. It's a children's book, but the message is something we as young women need to hear. In the story, the main character was Punchinello, a little wooden man who lived in a village of small wooden people called Wemmicks. The Wemmicks were a lot like our society in many ways... If a Wemmick was especially beautiful or talented the other Wemmicks would stick a star on them. If they couldn't do something especially well or they weren't as attractive physically they would be given black dots. Punchinello was just an average Wemmick. He wasn't exceptionally talented or attractive. So, the other Wemmicks gave him a lot of dots.

One day he met a girl named Lucy. Lucy was different. She was always smiling and happy and she didn't have any dots or any stars. When a dot or star got stuck to her it would just fall off. Punchinello wanted what she had so he asked her, "How do the stars and dots not stick to you, Lucy?" She told him, "It's because I go to see Eli the woodcarver every day..." So one day Punchinello decided to go visit Eli. He was the carpenter who made all of the Wemmicks. So, Punchinello went and talked to Eli and he felt more special than he ever had before. Eli thought he was perfect as he was, paint chipped and all. "I made you, so you are special to me!" Eli told him. As Punchinello walked out from talking to Eli one dot fell off. As he came back every day to see Eli more and more dots and starts began to fall off. Pretty soon people would try to stick a star or dot on Punchinello but it would just fall off.

Just like Punchinello, many of us wish that the stars and dots that people try to put on us wouldn't stick. The solution is as simple for us as it was for the little wooden man in the story, we need to visit our Maker in the morning. The only way for us to stop caring so much about what other people think is for us to redefine who can speak to our self-worth. Just like Eli the carpenter, Jesus thinks we are perfect just the way He made us. If we make it a point to spend time with our loving Maker every morning, slowly the stars and dots will fall off.

What is your experience with letting the stars and dots stick to you? Have you ever let someone else's opinion of you define you? Let me know in the comments below!

Love,

Your Sister in Christ,