LifeDate Winter 2025 – Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
by Diane Albers, President of Lutherans For Life
I spent most of my teaching career in early childhood classrooms and have always been amazed at what small children see. When I would show them the plastic fetal model, they immediately recognized that it was a baby and would want to cuddle the baby. I enjoy showing the fetal models to my two-year-old Sunday school class and pressing their fingers on an ink pad to show them that no one has a fingerprint like theirs. They may look like Mommy or Daddy or a sibling, but they are not just the same! They are unique! How children love that word! They are specially made by God’s own hand. Another way to show them how special God made them is to talk about their five senses.
In this edition of LifeDate, I am doing something different. I am going to share a children’s message that originated with a friend from LFL of Illinois, Jean Heise. I’ve added and changed it over the years, but the original idea remains the same.
A note on this children’s message: Depending on the number of children, each child could get a card with a poppy seed on it to tell their parents the story again about how God made them, loves and forgives them, and cares for them.
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14a).
The Poppy Seed Children’s Message
In my hand I am holding a poppy-seed roll. See all the black seeds on it? Do you think people way in the back can see all these poppy seeds? Of course they can. But what if I took off one poppy seed, just like that, and pasted it on black paper like this? Do you think they can see this little poppy seed now? [Ask someone halfway back from the front if they can see it.] Does that mean that I don’t have a poppy seed here? Of course not. That’s silly. Just because people can’t see it doesn’t mean the seed isn’t there.
A long time ago you were the size of this very tiny little poppy seed on this card. Then you began to grow inside your mommy. Everything about you was already part of this tiny you: the color of your hair, how big you’re going to be some day, the color of your skin, whether you were a boy or a girl. All you did was grow. When you were this tiny, your mommy couldn’t see you. Your daddy couldn’t see you. But who could see you? God could see you! You were growing very fast. Your heart started to beat. Your bones were growing. Your brain was starting to work. And, still, Mommy couldn’t see you. Daddy couldn’t see you. Who was watching you grow? Yes, God was watching you grow. In fact, the Bible says that God was making you grow into you! Listen:
“For you [God] formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).
Pretty soon you could bend your fingers. You could suck your thumb. You could squint your eyes, swallow, and frown. You were about this size—the size of this little plastic baby that I have in my hand. You could even do somersaults. Still, Mommy couldn’t see you. Daddy couldn’t see you. Who was watching you? God was watching you and making you.
You kept on growing. Pretty soon you got so big you had to move from your first home. You moved into this world, into your mother’s arms. For the first time, who was able to see you? Mommy and Daddy. But who had been watching you grow ever since you were the size of this little, tiny poppy seed? God had, because He is your loving heavenly Father. In fact, He loves you so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay for every sin so that you can be forgiven!
Every one of you can know that you’re very special by remembering three things:
- God made you inside your mommy’s womb.
- God loves and forgives you.
- God cares for you.