For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:16 (NIV)
I love snow, though I wish it came without the cold and dangerous driving. So like most of the northern population, I tend to complain even though I know I should focus on the beauty.
The uniqueness of snowflakes amazes me. Gazillions of crystals fall every winter, no two alike. It’s a puzzling phenomenon. With only six branches, you’d think the odds of finding matching flakes would be good. However, each arm grows a variety of smaller stems creating a diverse collection of one-of-a-kind frozen droplets. Not even Wilson Bentley, the farmer who collected and examined 5,000 snowflakes found a pair of twins. The Creator engineered them so the process could never reproduce itself, and He fashioned humans in much the same way.
I find DNA as mysterious as snowflakes. Prior to its discovery, no one completely understood each human’s complex uniqueness. Identical twins swabbed in exactly the same location never share more than 99.99% DNA. Their fingers leave exclusive imprints, and the each usually possess one other identifying marker so small only their mother will spot it.
We are God’s workmanship. Like snowflakes, we may discover small motifs in humans that match, but we’ll never find two altogether the same. The many talents and gifts, impediments and differences demonstrate the Maker’s ability to weave together limitless beauty.
How much better would the world be if we began to look at each other like snowflakes, uniquely created, handcrafted, by the Master Designer? And what if we started looking at ourselves in the same way? What if I quit comparing myself to my friend? What if we encouraged children to embrace their uniqueness in Christ instead of trying to fit in? How many fall into sin trying to conform or rebelling because they feel like they don’t belong?
You might live in a place with no snow, still each day offers an opportunity to appreciate the unique beauty of creation. Not just in the flowers and the trees, but in every human we meet. I pray we learn to see and treat others as Christ sees them, hand-fashioned in the image of the Father; just waiting to be saved by the blood of the Son and transformed into their true unique character by the power of the Holy Spirit.
