Last week a friend and I went to a paint night. Perhaps you’ve heard of these events? It is an evening were people sit at an easel with a blank canvas, brushes, a paper plate with dollops of paint and a paint smock —and we pretend to be artists.

We were not alone on this adventure. There was an instructor who guided us, step by step, showing us how to recreate the painting she had painted earlier that day.

There were at least thirty of us there that evening. It was so fun, but here is what was amazing. All of us were using the same colour paints, we were all recreating the same picture and given the same directions and not one of the paintings looked like the other. Every single one was different! Every unique artist created their own unique masterpiece! It really was amazing.

And here is the thing, even though we are created in God’s image, we are all unique. God allows for great variety. Today, there are over seven billion people that live in the world. That’s a lot of people and yet, science confirms that each person is different and unique. No two people are or will be exactly alike. Right down to our fingerprints and how each of us thinks, we are all utterly and uniquely different.

You might ask, what makes me unique? Everything!

God sees you and God knows you. As a God of limitless power, God is intimately aware of each and every one of our attributes.

You and I come to God as children of different races and nationalities. You and I have different temperaments. You and I have our own distinctive life experiences, gifts and talents.

With that in mind I would invite you to consider this important fact: when you are clear about what makes you a unique individual, you can then better understand what it is that you can give to others. You can know your unique place in the world and the purpose that God has for you.

Please never underestimate your significance to the Body of Christ. God gifted you uniquely, and God has a plan and purpose for your life.

And if I may be so bold… if you see that something is not being done at Amberlea, or that there is something missing, it may mean that you are not doing it.

You are a vital and valued part of God’s kingdom!

See you Sunday!