Uniquely Created

On By Beth AlisanIn Lessons

“O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. . . For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” – Psalm 139: 1, 13-14

Adi & Nova are sisters- same litter, same color, same size.  They each inherited their parent’s love for man, dogs, and the outdoors.  Both are known for their friendliness, incredibly shiny coats, and propensity for licking.

Adi (left) & Nova (right)

Yet these girls have their distinct differences.  Adi is built like a lean distance runner and Nova a muscular sprinter.  Nova is alert and ready for action while Adi dozes nearby.  Adi is cautious, and Nova is daring.   Nova will hold a conversation with you while Adi sits quietly listening.   Adi appears more serious and Nova more playful.  Nova’s passionate about retrieving the ball while Adi’s passion is greeting the person who threw the ball.

As much as I enjoy the similarities which make Adi and Nova wonderful family dogs, I delight in the qualities that make them each a one-of-a-kind dog.  It’s these differences that best suit Nova to sit at attention in a duck blind alongside my brother and best suit Adi to be a soccer mom sidekick.  One day as I was watching the pups play, I found myself wondering why I so eagerly embrace the differences in these Labs but struggle to embrace my own unique makeup.

 Too often I compare myself to others and think I would be a better mother, wife, friend, and teacher if I were more outgoing, quick witted, articulate, bold, adventurous, spontaneous, and stylish.  Lovingly the Lord is helping me see myself through His eyes in accordance with His Holy Word.  That this cautious, unpretentious woman with a perceptive heart, who embraces the familiar, would rather listen than talk, and is more comfortable in the great outdoors than a boutique, is exactly how He wants me.  That His hands specially crafted me this way. And, only this combination of qualities could carry out the specific plans He has written for my life. 

The same is true for you.  Can you see how He’s created you to match the plans He’s written for your life?

 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Ephesians 2:10

© 2019-2023, Lessons from a Lab, Beth Alisan.  All Rights Reserved.

25 thoughts on “Uniquely Created”

    1. You are not weird Tierney. The Bible tells us that on the 5th day God created the animals of the land each according to their kind and saw it was good. I think the goodness we see in our dogs is the goodness that God sees in them too. Our appreciation of them draws us to the Creator (Romans 1:20). Give Mike some love from Adi and I.

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    1. Thank you Mr. Ohh! If you look at the picture of the two dogs you’ll quickly identify the one who enjoys a good laugh and her laughter is contagious. She knows how to turn a frown upside down.

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  5. Anonymous

    I love this post! It reminds me of the relationship between you and your oldest brother. I wouldn’t change a thing about either of you! Keep on writing and sharing your talents with others. Love ya!

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    1. ❤ I am so glad that you enjoyed it! I cherish my relationship with Mark and couldn’t have asked for a better and more inspiring big brother. I smile at how much our Lab’s resemble our personalities.

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  6. So beautiful! God’s craftsmanship is perfect! A friend asked me recently if I had a favorite flower. I told her “no”: I love so many. I think I love roses best, but then, I see an iris, or a lily of the valley, or a tulip. And, I love them all. All are different, all are unique. Imagine a garden of roses and only roses…never another flower. What of the fields of blue wildflowers…as you know!!! 🙂 So much beauty everywhere. It is best to celebrate the uniqueness. It is there we find God’s fingerprint. One of a kind. How extraordinary is that?

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    1. Truly extraordinary! What a wonderful connection this is to the lesson Linda! I’m sitting on our porch right now and can see my flower bed overflowing with peonies, roses, and lily of the valley. Each is beautiful in its own right. Yet, the best part is the breeze that catches the scents of each and blends them together for the most incredible floral fragrance. How much the Lord must enjoy seeing His people, each created uniquely by His hand, working together for His glory- beautiful and fragrant with the aroma of Christ.

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  8. lilyofthevalley777

    Beautiful labs. We had had a female black lab, Amber, that had 11 puppies with the last one stillborn.☹….I was thinking that with the two of yours alike, yet so uniquely different, is like being blessed with twins with a boy and the other a girl…..In the second part of your post, I thought, ‘Wow! You described me to a T.’ So much alike, yet uniquely different. Blessings to you in the Lord. ❤

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    1. Susan, your comment made my heart smile. Similar yet different. I love God’s infinite creativity. I’m glad this lesson brought back memories of your Lab Amber and her puppies. She must have been one busy mama.

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  9. I was about to go out to the garden until your post landed in my inbox, the garden could wait! What a rewarding read it was too per usual Beth. I love the distinctiveness of Adi and Nova, physically and in character. You illustrate beautifully our moulding in the hands of The Master Potter; we are made for His purpose. Almighty God had our lives planned out before us, what we would do and be like to achieve specific service to Hs glory. Your chosen song ( I love the Getty family!) encapsulates what you say well in your post. Thank you for this blessing today. Now I better go do some gardening!

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    1. Thank you Alan for your kind words! I feel quite honored that you set aside the garden task at hand to read this post. That particular song by the Getty’s has been part of my worship for most of the week. I hope your garden is now in top shape. We have hit a bit of a dry spell here. So after picking the strawberries, I watered my fledgling greens, tomato plants and flowers. Our weeds get to reside another few days as any effort to pull them from hard clay based soil is futile.

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  10. This comes at a good time for me, Beth. Just this morning I was asking God (for the bazillioneth time), “Why did you give me this particular personality?” I am naturally bold and outgoing, but also sensitive and self-questioning. What kind of combination is that?!

    Like you, I’ve come to realize that God made me this way for a reason. My weaknesses are where His strengths are made perfect.

    Thank you for reminding me to follow the life of good works that God prepared in advance for me (not someone else) to do. Ephesians 2:10 is one of my favorite scriptures!

    Hugs to Audi and Nova!

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    1. Thank you David! 2 Corinthians 12:10 is the perfect addition to this lesson. What I see as my weaknesses are opportunities for His strength to work. It is always to His glory. I need to be more like Paul and “delight” in my weakness rather than spending time asking why. Adi and Nova send some Labby licks in return.

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      1. Thank you Gary! Dogs move in the here and now, so I tend to be more present and contemplative when around them. The Lord uses those moments to call back to mind what He’s teaching me through His word. These lessons are truly to His glory. By the way, I believe I saw “If Only” and “Comparison” on the same wanted poster for robbing people of time and purpose.

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    2. Thank you! I concur that it is a difficult question. Seeing myself through the Lord’s eyes and understanding His plan for my life both require that I do a lot more listening when I pray and a lot less telling Him my thoughts on the matter. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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