Bent Fingers

At 14, Mary Moore has developed a new condition that contributes to her uniqueness. Over the last few months, her pinkie fingers have begun to curl into hooks. She cannot straighten out her fingers, and thankfully she isn’t in any pain. Yesterday, she was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called “Campodactyly”. Her condition cannot be fixed and will not fix itself. Our little Russian nugget will just have to learn to live with bent fingers.

Before she could begin to generate tears or a reason to pout, her sister and I encouraged her by reminding her of our own “bent fingers” At 6’1”, her 15 year old sister finds that she stands out a lot and there is absolutely nothing she can do about it. I cannot walk in a straight line. I have permanent scars on the inside of each ankle from the constant heel strike my ankles receive any time I walk. As much as I’d like to be able to walk in a straight line, I cannot.

Everyone has “bent fingers”, but so often, we grieve or pout over our condition. We look at all the “straight finger” people and wish that we were just like them. Our bent fingers come in the form of disease, social status, appearance, family dysfunction, health limitations, economic limitations, brain limitations and more, and very rarely do we offer up praise and thanksgiving to God for blessing us with these qualities that make us uniquely us.

Our bent fingers are blessings. Our Heavenly Father created us the way we are for His glory. He is the most wise and most loving and no matter how bent your finger is He did not make a mistake in giving it to you. Instead of trying to hide it or fix it, celebrate it. You are unique. God’s thoughts toward you are more numerous than each grain of sand on the seashore. He sees every part of you and He knows that you are just a little sheep. He remembers that you are dust and every single thought He thinks about you is a precious and perfect thought. His thoughts toward you are based on an honest evaluation of who you really are. If He thinks you are precious, who are you to doubt any precious part of yourself? Give thanks to the Lord who is good and always gives good gifts. Thank Him for your bent fingers.

 

“ Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.” 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NLT)

 

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God.

They cannot be numbered!

I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!” Psalm 139:13-18 (NLT)