When I was a small girl, my grandpa used to pull me on his lap. He would call me his special special. All of his grandchildren were special, but I was his special special. I think he told all his grandchildren that but at the time it made me feel good.
To God we are all special specials. He loves each of us equally and he loves the variety of the individuals he has made. I am reminded of God’s love for us individually when I go to concerts and look at the young people performing.
During one concert I looked at the shining faces, each individual shining so differently, so uniquely. The beauty of each individual and the promise they hold is precious to God. His love reaches to each and every one of us.
Our small group returned from our holiday break a few weeks ago. We had a potluck the first night so that we could all catch up with everyone. As I sat in the room filled with women talking with each other about just everything I realized how much I missed these women.
The bond we share is our interest in learning God’s word and being part of a group of believers. But there are no two people alike in the room. We have wives, mothers, daughters, single women, career women, none of us really have much in common.
But we come together weekly as much as we can to share God’s word and the struggle in our lives to live as we believe God wants us to live. This sharing between us has fostered great friendships as we see God in each of us.
We pray for one another and those that concern us. We study together and it is amazing to see things from another’s viewpoint. This shows us things about God that we did not know or see before.
Our God is a great God. He has many different facets. He has many different gifts. Anyone can share his or her gift from God, from the youngest to the oldest of us. We are all precious in the sight of God and thus, precious to each other. You, my friend, are my Special Special.
Romans 12:4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets it’s meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people.
Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.
I Corinthians 12:2-11 God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all.
Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!
The variety is wonderful: wise counsel, clear understanding, simple trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.
Ephesians 4:6-8 You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift.
