More than pixels

I’m sitting in front of my computer, typing these words and also watching as they show up on the screen. Pixel-points of light and color. In her devotional focus on Psalm 139:13-16 in this morning’s Fruit of the Vine, Katy Matchette thanks God that “we are not random pixels dancing across a disorganized screen.” Of course, this reality doesn’t always feel good. Katy acknowledges that her aging body, for instance, sometimes makes her want to shout, “Help! I’m falling apart!” The flip-side of these aches and pains is that they focus Katy’s attention, force her to notice “the marvelous complexity of my body.”

I think this is important. I am more than a brain, more than my passions. I am also a human being with a body, created by God. As a gift. And even though we know God “created us humans,” Katy notes that we may forget or overlook the fact that God also created each of us: “Much better than merely putting the whole cycle of reproduction into motion!”

In the image above from the Oregon Coast, my body made it possible to walk out on the sand and step into the water. I climbed a rock to get a better view of others on the beach. It was glorious. But then, on my way down from this particular rock, I had to jump, and I didn’t hit the landing right. It hurt. I limped up the hill and back to the parked car, and I wasn’t as grateful for the beauty of God’s creation as I had been just minutes before. Maybe you can relate.

Maybe that’s why Katy’s reading seems especially important for me this morning. “‘Fearfully and wonderfully made’ applies to more than interlocking body parts.” But those “interlocking body parts” help me to remember – especially when they’re not working the way I want – that “God cared enough about each of us to anticipate the life he wanted for us. He created us for a reason.” 

Katy ends with this prayer: “Father, thank you for knowing me. I am awed that you wove all my intricate parts into a person who fits into your scheme and your kingdom.”

This is my prayer this morning as well.

Eric Muhr