"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
As an Enneagram 4, I often find myself pondering the uniqueness of The Maker’s blueprint for my life. Every single person on this planet is a unique work born, held, and known in The Maker's heart.
But what happens to a masterpiece after it has been made? What if we are persuaded to believe another voice that criticizes and draws our attention away from The Maker’s intent?
Rewriting the narrative
In a world that deals in snap judgments and endless comparison, it’s easy to let outside narratives redefine us. A pot displayed in the marketplace can be dismissed as "ordinary" if the shopper doesn’t recognize that the hands that formed it were moving and creating on purpose.
When I find myself in a creative action, a specific dance begins to unfold; a moment where the piece I'm creating and the plan I am intending start to merge. Suddenly, what I have been making seems to morph right in front of me, beginning to take on a "life" of its own.
I wonder if this, in some infinitesimal way, is a metaphor for what God experiences as he interacts with us? His is the act of lovingly crafting each and every soul for his delight; a gift to be given to others in this creation.
This should be all anyone would need to live a life of contentment and peace...
But comparison rears its ugly head.
Because of a "marketplace" mentality, we begin to question the form of our lives in this world, wondering if the curves are crooked or the glaze too plain. We look around at others and hear the whispers of comparison forming in our own minds and hearts.
We begin to doubt the purposes of The Maker when we stand next to one another...wondering why the others have been given a different veneer, and why our creator, seemingly blind to what He was doing, chose not to use their glorious glaze on us. Or form their shape in ours...or...you get the picture. But we must remember...
The Maker never loses sight of His vessel’s intended beauty and purpose.
What you see in the mirror is not a mistake. The Maker designed you—inside and out. Nothing in you is accidental. Your worth comes from belonging to The Maker. The same hands that formed you still steady you, ready to affirm your value.
Wonder-full Creations of The Maker
"...your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
As a purveyor of awe and wonder (a monicker my dear friend Johnny Levy of The Superpower Community has helped me refine and define) this portion of the verse absolutely blows me up. This is a noteworthy reminder that—regardless of how we may feel about it—we are considered “wonderful” by the One who made us. This is something we can "know...full well."
It is The Maker who forms and defines us. The Creator made us with all our idiosyncrasies and put each and every detail in for a reason and design. He did this out of pure delight, to make someone on whom he can pour his love and affection.
That is you.
That is me.
That is every person who lives and has ever lived.
So what does that look like?
When I first thought about how to represent this visually, the image that came to mind was that of a hands throwing a pot on the potter's wheel.
“Yet, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay and you are our potter; we are all formed by your hand.” — Isaiah 64:8 (TPT)
In this verse, there is intention and intimacy. There is the touch of the Maker on the clay. The imprinting of fingerprints on the pot indicates that it is forever indelibly connected to its creator.
Recent findings have even documented ancient potters’ prints preserved on vessels and figurines—for example, 4,500‑year‑old pottery from Tel Hama, Syria (study overview and journal article), and fingerprints on terracotta figurines from Thonis‑Heracleion, Egypt (journal article). The result is the historical record of a creative act.
There is a permanence of purpose for the created piece—a permanent connection between the maker and the made.
We are not an accident. We are an intention.
We are not purposeless. We are beautifully purposeful.
We are not a mistake.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made by the one who loves and designs us for His delight.
*The video animation at the start of this post was generated with Midjourney, an image-generating AI. DM me if you are interested in learning more.
Turning Inward
These questions are meant for quiet reflection, prayer, or journaling. Let the potter guide your response. And should you so desire, leave a comment for the community to experience.
Where do you sense comparison shaping your self‑story right now?
What fingerprints of The Maker can you name in your life—gifts, quirks, desires?
What one small practice this week will help you live from belonging, not evaluation?
Today’s Kingdom Artifact
Medium: Digital illustration
Artist: @marvharrell
Two hands and freshly formed clay—a retelling of Adam's creation? The Maker molds His treasured form, shaping it to be precisely what He purposes and desires. The pot, hovering in space above the wheel, suggests an otherworldly experience lifting from the wheel to wonderment. As the vessel hovers, soft, tender, and marked with the fingerprints of The Maker, the background directs the eye to hands and form. Intention. Intimacy. A pause before purpose.
What it invites:
Remember: you are formed by The Maker.
Receive: His delight rests on you.
Trust: purpose is present, even before the firing.
Notice: the fingerprints stay—belonging is the mark.
If you like what you’ve been reading thus far and want this image for your collection, here’s what you can do to share the love and get the print:
Click the “Share Meet the Maker” button
When prompted, copy the link.
Email the link to a friend and cc info@harrelldesign.com
I’ll attach the image to an email to you as a thank-you!