Valera

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Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:14 NLT

I have a beautiful friend named Valera. She’s with Jesus now, but I’ll treasure her memory forever. She was born with a birth defect that never allowed her to grow taller than four feet one inch. Her spine was so deformed that she walked in a stooped forward manner.

As a child Valera was self-conscious as you might expect. But while still young she asked God to show her why He made her the way He did. She wanted to know what He had for her to do. God loves it when you ask Him that question. He came through for her.

Valera decided that God created her to be a grade school teacher. After all, she reasoned, I’m their (the students) height. They weren’t afraid of her. In fact, she believed she had an unfair advantage over the other teachers. Her size and shape leveled the playing field for the student and teacher. They loved her.
Valera loved Jesus. It was impossible to miss. She was joyful even though she had a lot to overcome physically. She loved to tease and play practical jokes. She didn’t see any reason why she should sit and stew over her condition.

Valera could storm the gates of heaven or hell with her prayers. She prayed for the children in her classes by name daily during the school year. She taught for over twenty-five years in the public school system and for over forty years in Sunday school classes. We will never know on earth the full effect of her life, but I’m sure it was HUGE!

Like Valera, you were born like you were to give glory to God. Jesus doesn’t make mistakes. You aren’t an accident. He may not have prevented the heartache you’ve experienced but neither is He finished with you yet. He wants to transform your weakness into strength. There is more to come to your story if you too will live out the love of Jesus.

What if from today forward you began to look at the difficult things in your life as a blessing in disguise. Jesus has allowed it for some reason. Isn’t it about time to learn why and make the most of it?

Gary Kendall        
www.livingsent.net/devotionals
Week 5, Live Out, Day 2, Devo 22