Remembering Snoodle Doo
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Isaiah 43:18-19
We all want to be remembered for something. Perhaps it could be any one of these: music, painting, or carpentry, teaching, fishing, parenting, preaching, and the list is endless. It makes us feel less than when we can’t find a single thing in which we excel. It happens most often when we are spread too thin, too tired and don’t have any us time. Ericka Loynes, (Mornings with Jesus), tells us how Snoodle Doo helped her redefine herself through God’s eyes.
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My roles and responsibilities in life have expanded, and I’ve allowed other people’s perceptions of my work and style, as well as my own self-doubt, to lead me to question who I am and what I’m capable of doing. One day when I was particularly discouraged, my mind went back to a Veggie-Tales episode my son, DJ, used to watch. “A Snoodle’s Tale” featured a teardrop-shaped, Smurf-blue character named Snoodle Doo with white wings, a tuft of white hair, and white gloves. This little guy carried a backpack that contained a kazoo and a palette—clues to help him discover his skills and talents. However, his low-level flying and elementary drawings were ridiculed by mean-spirited Snoodles. They drew pictures of Snoodle Doo’s shortcomings and stuffed them in his backpack to remind him of his limitations. But when he stumbled upon his Maker, Snoodle Doo was given a new drawing. It was picture of him fully developed and completely competent. That is how his Maker saw him, and soon, Snoodle Doo saw himself that way too.
DJ and I watched “A Snoodle’s Tale” thirteen years ago, yet the moral of the story stayed with me. I need to tune out the mean-spirited voices (including my own) that try to keep me down. Because of Jesus, my past does not define my future. Just like Snoodle Doo, I must listen to my Maker and see myself the way He sees me too.
Father, You are our Maker and we praise You. Sometimes we listen to the wrong voices and find ourselves in a bad emotional place. Help us to hear Your voice more clearly and to grow into the person You created us to be. AMEN.