Special

"The Wemmicks were small wooden people carved by a woodmaker called Eli.

Each Wemmick was different.

Some had big noses, others had large eyes.

Some were tall and others were short.

Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers

and grey dot stickers.

The wooden people went around the village sticking stars

or dots on one another.

The pretty ones got stars.

Wemmicks with rough wood or chipped paint got dots.

The talented ones got stars too.

Some could jump over tall boxes or sing pretty songs.

Others, though,

could do little.

They got dots.

Punchinello was one of these.

He tried to jump high like others,

but he always fell.

So the Wemmicks would give him dots.

When he tried to explain why he fell, he would say something silly,

so the Wemmicks would give him more dots.

'He deserves lots of dots,' the wooden people would say.

After a while Punchinello believed them.

'I guess Im not a good Wemmick,' he decided.

So he stayed inside most of the time.

When he did go outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had lots of dots.

He felt better around them.

One day he met a different kind of Wemmick named Lucia.

She had no dots or stars.

The Wemmicks admired Lucia for not having no dots, so they would give her a star.

But it would fall off.

Others would give her a dot for not having any stars.

But it wouldnt stay either.

Thats the way I want it to be,

thought Punchinello.

Sohe asked Lucia how she did it.

'it's easy,' she replied.

'Every day I go visit the woodcarver.'

'Why?'

'You'll find out if you go see him.' Then Lucia turned and skipped away.

'But will he want to see me?' Punchinelo wondered.

Later, at home, he sat and watched the wooden people giving each other stars and dots.

'Its not right.' he muttered to himself.

And he decided to go see Eli.

Punchinello walked up the narrow peth and stepped into Eli's shop.

His eyes grew big.

The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on tiptoe to see the top of the workbench.

Punchinello swallowed hard.

Im not staying here!

Then he heard his name.

'Punchinello?'

The voice was deep and strong.

'How good to see you. Come - let me have a look at you.'

Punchinello looked up.

'You know my name?'

'Of course.

I made you.'

Eli picked him up and set him on the bench. 'Looks like you've been given some bad marks,' said the maker.

'I didnt mean to, Eli. I tried really hard.'

'Punchinello, I dont care what the other Wemmicks think.'

'You dont?'

'No. You shouldnt either. What they think doesnt matter. All that matters is what I think.

And I think you are pretty special.'

Punchinello laughed.

'Me? Special? Why? Im not talented and my paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?'

Eli spoke very slowly.

'Because you are mine. Thats why you matter to me.'

Punchinello didnt know what to say.

'Everyday Ive been hoping youd come' Eli explained.

'I came because I met Lucia. Why dont stickers stay on her?'

The maker spoke softly. 'Because she has decided that what I think is more important that what others think. The stickers only stick if you let them.'

'what?'

'The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers.'

'Im not sure I understand.'

Eli smiled. 'You will, but it will take time. For now, come to see me everyday and let me remind you how much I care.'

Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.

'Remember' Eli said as Punchinello was leaving,

'You are special because I made you.

And I dont make mistakes.'

Punchinello didnt stop, but in his heart he thought

I think he really means it.

And when he did, a dot fell to the ground."

"You are special" by Max Lucado

* * *

Hey you,

yeah,

you.

You're special.