Are you still wonderfully and fearfully made and have a purpose if you're born different? We all know the answer to that, but Doctor Francis Joel Smith will provide some insight.
This incredible story will remind you that each and every one of us was made on purpose, no matter the circumstances. In this story, parents give up their son due to a rare disorder, but Doctor Francis Joel Smith knows he's wonderfully made.
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You don’t have to be adopted, have a disorder, or deformity to question whether or not you're loved. As Christians, we are adopted by our Heavenly Father. We are aware of our shortcomings, weaknesses, and flaws. Sometimes getting past them and taking up our cross is a bigger hurdle than we ever anticipated.
Yet, Francis Joel Smith doesn't let being given up for adoption or looking different stop him from achieving all that God created him to be. In fact, he uses the way he was created to be a cornerstone to remind the world–we are all wonderfully made.
Life With A Facial Condition
Francis was born in Ireland when he was immediately taken into intensive care. In a video, he tells how he was born visibly different, with no ears or eye sockets.
Francis was in foster care and deeply loved by Lillian Collins until the age of three before he was adopted by a family who loved him just as deeply. But because of his differences, he was bullied during his childhood and teen years on top of Enduring 31 surgeries. He wrote, "The bullying from other children destroyed me. But my strong faith in Christ helped me endure these hard times."
By the time he got to high school, his peers noticed he was ‘wonderfully made.' He wrote, "I was accepted and experienced love by my peers and teachers who saw my potential for success."
Despite his trials and tribulations, Francis Joel Smith defied the odds. He went on to become a remarkable violin and cello player. In addition to excelling in music, he went on to earn a PhD in cranial facial science. As someone needing medical treatment, can you imagine the relief of meeting a doctor like him who knows and understands the road ahead as a patient?
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In fact, because he looks so different, he manages to make friends wherever he goes! Some have become lifelong friends, like Michael, Francis' best friend.
Inspiring Story Of Francis Joel Smith
It doesn't matter how smart Francis is or his success. What matters in his eyes is the beauty of adoption. He believes love is priceless. "Sadly, so many babies who may have challenges including birth defects are aborted because people think that they will not have a good quality of life," he said. "However, adoption is a beautiful alternative in that it enables children to have a good chance at life. Children can indeed go on to live remarkable, inspiring lives that encourage others."
If you were given up for adoption or if you were born with any disorder, know this–God made you on purpose for a purpose. So many of us live with Autism, ADHD, development disorders, or we're missing limbs. But that doesn't mean we aren't worthy of leaving a mark in this world. Nor does it mean we don't bear the mark of our creator who created us to be wonderfully and fearfully made.
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"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well," Psalm 139:14.
WATCH: Francis Joel Smith Shares His Inspiring Story
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h/t: Save The Storks
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Francis J. Smith