With pro-life activists speaking up now more than ever and our BJU community raising money to purchase a Save the Storks bus for the Carolina Pregnancy Center in Spartanburg to provide women free ultrasounds, the idea that humans are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14) is on the forefront of many people’s minds.

However, even though we think about this phrase with regard to babies at conception, I think it often begins to slip from our minds after that point has passed. 

We think about all of the intricate parts of a baby in its mother’s womb, but it is quite likely that we will think less about these things as a child grows older.

God calls us to value life, but are we really doing that if we are not constantly keeping in mind that every human is “fearfully and wonderfully made?” I’m not only talking about you and your family and friends. I’m also talking about that stranger on the sidewalk whom you’ve never met. 

Having a brother with special needs, specifically Down Syndrome, I am constantly reminded of the truth that we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made.” 

As my brother, Drew, has grown to be a teenager of 15 years, his character has been the primary evidence of this. Drew is one of the most polite and genuinely caring people you will ever meet. He holds doors, greets people, gives hugs. His joy permeates. He encourages. He cheers people on.

As his sibling, I can honestly say that he is the glue of our family. He embodies characteristics that, to be quite honest, the rest of us don’t have. My mom will attest to the fact that out of the three of her kids, he has complained the least and said thank you the most. He also consistently wants our family to come together as a team, working together on something until the task is completed. 

The other thing I will note is that Drew acts without worrying about what others think of him, a tendency that the rest of us are very prone to. In church, he will sing out boldly, even if he is not entirely sure of the tune and lyrics of the hymn he is singing. He will go out of his way to help someone or to reach out to someone who needs a friend. 

As Drew’s sibling, his actions convict me. 

His life encourages me to acknowledge that people are “fearfully and wonderfully made” beyond their time in the womb and convicts me of how important it is to love everyone around you at any season of their life as individuals made in God’s image.