Wonderfully Made and Full of Purpose

Every 60 seconds, 258 babies are born across the globe.  In the next hour that means there will be 15,480 new lives on earth. A year ago those would have just been interesting statistics. However, in one of those seconds and in one of those hours in November, one of those babies was our first grandchild. Most of our peers already have quite a collection, but this little girl was our first.

Her entrance into our world has affected us in lots of ways. It has made us very thankful for smart phones, Skype and photo/video sharing apps. I have just been replaying a new video several times this morning. When you are 618 miles away, this is the next best thing.

But her debut has had even greater effects. Having followed closely our daughter’s pregnancy and having another app that told us everything about the baby’s development, I can say with the Psalmist that truly we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (139:14 KJV).

But when we look at a precious newborn, we must ask why? Why is this child here? We have the biological and medical facts. We know the how, but what about the why? Is she here just for us to coo over? Just to give us pleasure? That part is very nice, but it will not last. The crying and dirty diapers are already in the picture!

No, with all these new babies, there is a BIG why. They are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”…by God, and when made by God, they are made for his purposes. So when I look at our little princess, I see one precious in the eyes of God who has become a person so she can know him and bring him joy. I don’t know how many years I will have to know her, but I want to do everything I can, so that she will know him.

And, how about our purpose for this year? I am thinking that once again, a little child shall lead us. “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3).