Pretty Little Toes

“But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”
1 Cor. 12:18

     I have never liked my feet.  My pinkie toenail is too small and my second toe is longer than the first big toe.  They just aren’t pretty.  I always wanted to have pretty feet - ones that angled perfectly from big toe to pinkie toe – with perfect sized toenails on each one! 

     Of course, I soon learned that if I painted my toenails, my feet didn’t look that bad, and if that didn’t work, I could always cover them up with shoes.

    But how often do we do that?  We find something about ourselves we don’t like and we try to cover it up.  We throw a little paint on it or cover it with something, hoping to disguise it enough so it appeals to us – and others.  And for a while it works, but often times, our makeshift cover-up starts to chip or tear, and our “ugliness” is exposed again – naked and bare for the world to see. 

     I’m ashamed to admit the times I try to cover-up the things I don’t like about myself – I speak too loudly, I laugh at the wrong moment, and too many times, I put my ugly foot in my mouth – painted toenails and all!  As a result, I’ve tried desperately to suppress my personality – to become less of myself, and just blend in with the world.  But the more I tried to hide myself, the more difficult it became to be just me.   

     Paul writes about the church in comparison to the body.  He explains that just as one body has many parts, so does the church.  You see, God never intended us to all be the same.  He designed each of us uniquely by His own hand, with a purpose and a plan – just as he wanted us to be.

     I find comfort in knowing God made me the way He wanted me to be.  There’s humility in understanding the depth of thought He put into you and your design.  He didn’t miss any detail from the hair on my head to the tiny nail on my toe.  I am as He intended me to be.

Dear Father,

Thank you for thinking of me.  Thank you for your intricate design and purpose in my life.  Please help me to accept those things about myself that maybe I’m still not “okay” with.  Help me to see that You designed me perfectly to do Your will and that when you look at me, you see pretty.  :)

In Your Name,

Amen