Well, it finally happened - the question I had known would be coming from my adopted daughter. Tonight I was rubbing Kallie down with cream before bed, this is one of our favorite things to do together. I spend the entire time praying for her asking God to heal old wounds that I was not there to see. I talk about how I love her beautiful feet, I pause at the awful round scars on her legs that I will never know why she has, I tickle her tummy and her neck, and I thank Jesus that I get the honor of calling Kallie my daughter.
As I was rubbing Kallie tonight she asked “Mom, why is my skin black and your skin white?”
Now of course I knew eventually this question would come, but truthfully I hadn’t prepped and planned out something to say. I threw up one of those quick “Lord let my words be Your heart” prayers and proceeded to share. I explained that if we all had white skin and brown eyes and brown hair there wouldn’t be anything special about any of us - we would all be boring. But because we are all created different there is something special about each of us. I explained that she is the ONLY Kallie in the entire world and she is beautiful and special just the way God created her. She started talking about how Dad has blue eyes and I have brown, how my hair is dark and Haylie’s hair is light and in her small little world she saw all of our differences our uniquenesses as beautiful and special.
My pastor has this great quote - “In Christ we should have unity not uniformity” I love this quote and as I sat rubbing down the last of Kallie’s little back and shoulders his quote ran through my mind. God has never been interested in uniformity. His uniqueness in what He creates is clear from the dawn of creation, from those He chose to play major roles in His history, to the disciples He chose who came from diverse backgrounds. The Lord is not interested in us all looking the same, acting the same, and behaving the same. He’s given us each unique gifts, passions, and callings in life - but there is one common thread in each of us - the love of Christ.
He knew me, knit me together. Just as I have my favorite spots on Kallie memorized, He knows me too. He knows my feet are not beautiful like Kallie’s, He giggles with me at the silly scar on my shin from the fall I took in the parking lot at the grocery store not too long ago, and He sees each of these stinking grey hairs that continue to grow in no matter how many times I color them!!! He knows me and loves me for my uniquenesses - after all He’s the one that gave these uniquenesses to me.
As I finished rubbing Kallie and our conversation wrapped up I told her how glad I was that NO ONE else looks like she does that she is unique and special and I am so blessed to get to be Mommy to the one and only Kallie in the entire world. At which point she looked up at me - gave me the biggest smile ever - wrapped her little arms around me and said “Yep, I’m your only princess Kallie!”
Friends, I hope this story encourages you. I hope you remember tonight that you are the only YOU and you are a child of our King, beautifully made, loved and adored - and yes friends you are royalty too!
In His Love,
Jenny
