Psalm 139:13,14 “You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Gladys Aylward was born in 1904. She was from a poor background. She was short, had black hair, and by all accounts was not outwardly very beautiful. In fact as she grew up she railed at God for having made her the way she was, and was deeply jealous of the taller blond girls in her class. However, God laid hold of her and called her to China. She didn’t know anything about China, had never seen a Chinese person, and didn’t know where it was. But in obedience she applied to be a missionary at the China Inland Mission. She was rejected.
In 1930, she pooled her money and bought a one way boat ticket to China. When she arrived in China, she suddenly realized why God had made her the way he had. All around her were short people with black hair, just like her! Her tiny frame and dark hair meant that she was far more quickly accepted by the Chinese community, perceived as less different by them than the other Western missionaries. This remarkable little lady evangelised across China until evicted by the Communist authorities in the late 1940s, and was known as the ‘Virtuous One’.
How easy it is to compare ourselves to others, and in our jealousy wish we were more beautiful, intelligent, wealthy, popular, or whatever! Comparison is often the enemy of joy and contentment. God in his infinite wisdom has made each one of us just the way we are. There’s no point railing at him as Gladys did. Far better to accept the raw material that we are, and trust him to use us as he sees fit. That might not be clear to you right now, but in his time it will become so. In the meantime, accept yourself, and walk in trust with him day by day.
Lord, I choose to thank you for making me me. Use me as you see fit today. Amen!
Similar to Gladys Aylward, Jackie Pullinger took a one-way boat trip to Hong Kong. Check out the amazing podcast I did with her here.
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