Are You Counting Gold Stars?

As a family, we recently watched a movie regarding the Wemmicks, small wooden people carved by a woodworker named “Eli.” Each Wemmick possessed a collection of gold stars and gray dots. Those that were super talented, those that could sing, dance, balance on a high wire—those Wemmicks were handed gold stars by their peers.

However, there were others. There were those with less talent. Those with dull, chipping paint. Those who were clumsy, or who couldn’t sing worth a lick. Those Wemmicks were stuck with dull, gray dots.

This story, based on a book entitled “You Are Special” by Max Lucado, tells how one wooden person, Punchinello, figures out that being “good” is not about performance. You see, Punchinello is one of those less-talented-covered-in-gray-dots type of Wemmicks, and he bases his self-worth on the fact that he lacked a gold star.

On Punchinello’s journey, he learns how life is not necessarily about how many stars you receive, or how well you can perform. In fact, it doesn’t even matter that he’s fallen more than he’d like to admit, or that his skipping stone never skips. That in reality, Eli, his maker, is not concerned at all about dots or stars.

I loved that thought. I loved the idea that our maker, our Father is not concerned with our performances, no matter how good—or bad.

Pause and think about that for a second.

Think about your trophys on display, the matted and framed diplomas, the gold plated plaques received for work well-done. Do you think your Father cares about those?

Do you think of Heaven as an elite country club with a heavy-set bouncer at the gates looking you over as you enter? When you think of your past track record, do you keep tally of all your fallen steps, the poor choices you’ve made, and think how there’s no way that you could be special? That anyone could love you?

It’s not the way we perform that gets us into our Father’s good graces, that gets us into Heaven. Your worth is not based on checking off a to-do list.

Sunday church. Check. Read Bible daily. Check. Prayed today. Check. Listened patiently to the old neighbor lady complain about my trashcan while nodding politely with a smile. Check.

It is actually about what’s in your heart. Do you love and trust in your Father? If so, then everything else will fall in place. Then, you’ll want to go to church and worship him; you’ll want to read His Word and pray daily to build on your relationship with Him; you’ll want to listen to your neighbor go on, and on, and on ... Okay, maybe that last one is pushing it ... but what an amazing lesson for our children, that no matter how well they do in baseball or gymnastics, it doesn't matter. They are loved either way, and no good, or bad task, will ever change that.

When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

Let's put away our collections of stars and gray dots, and remember that we are all created and loved unconditionally by God, and as a wise woman once said, “God don’t make no junk.”