Getting Rid of My Stickers

Words for Wednesdays

When Madam Blueberry goes to Stuff Mart, the writers must have been thinking of my love for Super Target. So often, children's books and movies seem to apply to me more than my kids. It happened again today.

Keeping 56 first graders calm during check-out after a full day of VBS is quite the challenge! This afternoon, I read book after book, one of them being You Are Special by Max Lucado, a family favorite.

You Are Special is about a town of wooden people who put star stickers on the popular ones and gray dot stickers on those without any special talents. Punchinello is full of dots, and he goes to the Maker to learn how to rid himself of the unwanted spots.

The Maker asks: 

"Who are they to give you stars or dots?

They're Wemmicks, just like you. 

What they think doesn't matter, Punchinello. 

All that matters is what I think. 

And I think you are pretty special."

When Punchinello asks why he's special, the Maker explains:

"Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me." 

  
Pause.



I'll admit it - That was a hug that my grown up thirty-three year old heart needed to feel.

Why am I special? Because I'm His. I am covered in the righteousness of Christ.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, 

a holy nation,  a people belonging to God, 

that you may declare the praises of Him 

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

1 Peter 2:9

But how do we get rid of those pesky stickers? 

The Maker explains:

"The stickers only stick if you let them. If they matter to you. 

The more you trust in my love, the less you care about their stickers... 

Come and see me every day and I will remind you how much I care."

This is one book that I might need to move off of the children's shelf and onto my own.


What children's books have reached out to your heart?