Behind the Name

There are two things that are on my mind tonight. Why I chose the name Wonderfully Made for my blog is the first one I will share. Some of you may recognize the phrase from a Bible verse found in Psalm 139. In my opinion, the writer of this song, David, is describing how well God knows him and how God has been working out the details of his life since he was created inside his mother's womb. He says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." This verse, and actually, this whole psalm has been one that I have turned to my whole life. Whether I'm feeling happy, anxious, insecure, thankful, optimistic or unsure of the future, different parts will articulate how I'm feeling in that moment. I can read them out loud as a prayer to God. If you've read this passage in the Bible many times, or if you've never read it once, I would encourage you to look it up and see what part speaks to you.

My next thought is connected with this idea of being wonderfully made. I have watched a couple videos this past week that were posted to Facebook or I stumbled across them in a YouTube vortex session. (Don't you get that sometimes, when you start watching one video and then you just keep clicking the other recommended ones.) Anyways, these videos were encouraging women to love themselves and their bodies just the way they are. One woman that I watched is on a mission to make a video showing the natural beauty of women's bodies post pregnancy. I was very encouraged to see women embracing and loving themselves even though, for many of us, it can be such a struggle to do so. However, I was left with the feeling that they were missing such a huge element of true beauty. To me, having inner beauty and having confidence to let that radiate from your spirit is what's most important. 

In February of 2012, I read Psalm 139 and Psalm 73:26 that says, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." You see, at the time my body or my "flesh" was failing me and I did not feel beautiful. I have something called alopecia, which is a condition that makes my hair fall out. At the time I had cut my hair short and wore a wig because my hair was so patchy. In my journal that night I wrote:

Right now my earthly body is failing me - it's rejecting my hair - leaving me feeling abnormal, strange and self-conscious. But in Psalm 139 David reflects on the fact that God intricately designed these bodies and formed them. What about people with failing bodies, abnormalities or birth defects? I think these are outward reflections of sin in our world. Even with these, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. It is the work of God in our hearts that make us beautiful. It is the strength of God that allows us to grow in the face of challenges. 

I went on to write a prayer asking God to work on my heart to make me beautiful on the inside, even though I didn't feel it on the outside. One of the reasons I wanted to start a blog is to encourage people who are in the same boat. You may have alopecia or another ailment. You may just have the same feelings I do. At that time I felt very alone and that I was the only one who had to deal with this. Since then I have learned that it actually is a very common illness. However you're feeling for whatever the reason, know you're not alone! I hope something I've rambled on about will encourage you.