"IT IS GOOD!"

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AFRICA!!!

MAXMOM here...

MEET 'CHERYL'

Hello there to all my readers!

I have been put up to a challenge of writing something entirely different today, so here goes...

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The birth of my first child, so many years ago, left me in a state of awe and wonder!

How was it possible that something so perfectly made had landed in my lap?

I was in awe of the detail that went into the physiological planning of such a small human being and admired the power behind my child's creation.

It was soon after that when I joined up with a group of women to learn the art of 'cloth doll making'. We were a small, enthusiastic group who put our sewing needles to cloth and churned out these dolls. They ranged from dolls that were the size of actual babies (with all their parts) to miniture creations of similar type. The dolls were fully jointed and their eyes were either embroidered or painted.  Careful attention was paid to their toes, fingers and belly-buttons alike. The unusual thing about these dolls was that they were literally sculptured from the inside out.

One of the standard tools of doll making was a long, sturdy needle which served to pull the stuffing in various directions on the inside of the doll and to anchor it somewhere on its body. Standard patterns were handed out, yet each one emerged from the creator's hands as absolutely and totally unique.

The picture above is of my own miniture creation, "Cheryl" - donned in a leotard because she was inspired by a friend who was a gym fanatic. I too was an aerobics instructor at the time and despite  the realms of physically in-shape and beautiful women in my classes, only ever found one who was satisfied with the way she looked. Most women grumbled about their extra weight and their rolls of fat or their wrinkles. They never seemed to say anything positive about themselves.
The only positive woman I ever found was a paraplegic who only had the use of her arms.  She was an inspiration in her appreciation for her own body and what it could do despite her disability. Although she is dead now, I will never forget her.

This little doll, "Cheryl", reminds me so much of that time.
The doll stands about  10cm tall and is fully jointed.

So why am I telling you all this?

Well, I will never forget the feeling of making this doll.

When the final stitch was put in place, I sat back and looked at it and thought that it was the most beautiful thing in the world.  I had paid such attention to its detail, ensuring that every part was perfectly placed. Each little dimple had been designed to create character and the eyes were painted with a small little white dot which served to bring it to life.

It makes me think about the process of our own creation.
It leads me to wonder about folk who look at themselves, particularly at their own bodies, without admiration for the designer.

I wonder what I would feel like if my own doll were to come to life and made disparaging remarks about how it looked. I would have felt gutted to think that my beautiful handiwork had been rejected by the doll itself. Does not our Maker feel the same way?

So it begs the question...

How then would our own Maker feel if we slandered ourselves?
How would He feel if we didn't appreciate his handiwork or kept saying negative things about ourselves?

Is it not more appropriate to appreciate and celebrate our God-given abilities?
Each one of us has been specifically and uniquely created?
Is it not time to look at ourselves with a measure of positivity?

It's just a thought!

Wishing everyone a really happy Wednesday!
With love