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HIDDEN IN HIM
Eternally His

A Commentary by Constance Vanides

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were
written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

(Psalm 139:16)

As a child, one thing would make me sad. The family album was, in those days, a kind of recounting of our family life and where we came from.

Typical sepia photos were taken at a studio on those special occasions: weddings, of course; bare babies on “bear rugs,” followed by portraits of the whole family dressed in their “Sunday best” all together. There was Papa standing, Mama sitting with the baby on her lap, and the other children carefully posed. Of course, no one ever dared make a move or even smile!

It was during one of those early viewing-of-the-album times with my older sisters that I realized I was not included in the family group picture. I asked, “But where was I?” They snickered at my innocence and told me I wasn’t born yet!

That statement hurt me. How could it be there was a time when I didn’t exist? Their deriding laughter rang clearly throughout many of my childhood years. Not having been taught “reproductive education” in those days, I understood next to nothing.

I continued to wonder how could I, a living child, not always have been here? I was never taught then what God, the Creator of all the universe had to say about me.

“The LORD has called Me from the womb; from the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name. And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft; in His quiver He has hidden Me.” (Isaiah 49:1b,2)

Though alluding to Jesus Christ, God’s plans could also apply to any one of us.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)

I eventually understood that my life on earth began at a certain point and will, of necessity end at another point of time, returning to be with my Creator, always with Him and with the souls and spirits of the earthly family I was born into, who also declared Jesus as their Lord and Savior. “For ‘whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.’” (Romans 10:13)

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2)

Praise God! He knew me from the beginning!

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