The Wemmicks were small wooden people. These little wooden people were carved by a woodworker named "Eli." Eli's workshop sat on a hill overlooking the Wemmick village. Every one of the Wemmicks were different. Some had big noses, others had very large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the same village.

All day long, every day, the Wimmicks did the same thing. They gave each other stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking gold stars or grey dots onto each other. The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got the shiney gold stars! But if the wood was rough or the paint was chipped, the Wemmicks gave dull gray dots. The talented ones got stars to. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everybody gave them shiney gold stars! Some Wimmicks had stars all over them. Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star.

There were many other Wimmicks though that could do very little. They got dull grey dots. There was one little Wimmick and his name was Punchinello. He tried to jump high like the others but he always fell. And when he fell the others would gather 'round him and give him dull grey dots. Sometimes when he fell it would scar his wood so people would give him more grey dots. He would try to explain why he fell and in doing so, he would say something really silly. Then the Wemmicks would give him some more dots!!!

After awhile Punchinello had so many dots he didnt want to go outside. He was afraid that he would do something dumb such as forget his hat, or step in the water, then people would give him more grey dots. In fact, he had so many grey dots that some people would come up and just give him one without a reason! "He deserves lots of dots," they would say. The wooden people would agree with each other. "He's not a good wooden person," they would say. After awhile Punchinello believed them. "I'm not a good Wemmick!" he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around the other Wemmicks who had a lot of grey dots. At least he felt better around them.

One day, Punchinello met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dull grey dots and did not have any shiney gold stars either. She was a wooden Wemmick and her ame was Lucia. It wasnt that other people didnt try to give her stickers; its that the stickers didnt stick to her!!! Some admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But they would not stick either!!!

"Thats the way I want to be" thought Punchinello. "I dont want anyones marks!" So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it. "Its easy" Lucia replied. "Every day I go see Eli." Punchinello asked "Eli? Who's Eli?" She replied "Yes, Eli. He's the woodcarver. I sit in his workshop and spend time with him.." He asked Lucia "Why do you do that?" Lucia told him, "Why dont you find out for yourself? Go up on the hill and visit him. He's there!" And with that, the sweet little Wemmick named Lucia turned and skipped away.

"But he wont want to see me!" Punchinello cried out to her. Lucia didnt hear him, as she was to far away. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each oher gold stars and grey dots. "Its just not right" he muttered to himself. Then he resolved to go see Eli after all. Punchinello walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the Woodcarvers Shop. His little wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tippy-toes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard and thought to himself, "I'm not staying here" and turned to leave. Then he heard his name. "Punchinello?" said the voice so deep and strong. Just then Punchinello stopped. The voice said "Punchinello, oh how good it is of you to come! Let me have a good look at you."

Punchinell slowely turned around and looked at the large bearded craftsman and said "Sir, you know my name?" "Of course I do, I made you." Eli said. All of a sudden Eli stooped down and picked little Punchinello up and set him on the workbench. "Hmmmm, " the Maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the grey circles all over him. "Looks like you've been given some bad marks." Punchinello explained, "Oh Eli, I didnt mean to; really I didnt!!! I tried really hard not to." The Maker said "Oh, you dont have to defend yourself to me, my child. I dont care what the other Wemmicks think. Punchinello asked "Really? You dont?" Then Eli said "No and you shouldnt either. Who are they to give stars or dots? They are Wemmicks just like you. What they think really doesnt matter at all, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think, And I think you are pretty special." Punchinello laughed, "Oh, me special? How can I be special? I cant walk fast. I cant jump. My paint is peeling. I make silly mistakes all the time and I am not a beautiful Wemmick like some of the others. How could I matter to you?" Eli looked at Punchinello and put his hands on those little wooden shoulders of his and spoke very slowly, "Because Punchinello...you are mine. Thats why you matter to me." Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this before or say anything so nice, much less his Maker! He didnt know what to say.

"Punchinello, every day I've bee waiting and hoping you would come to see me." li explained. Punchinello looked at him and said "I came because I met a sweet Wemmick girl who has no marks." Eli said, "I know. Lucia told me about you." So Punchinello asked, "Why dont the stickers stay on Lucia?" Eli said "Because she has decded that what I think is more important than what anyone else thinks. The stickers only stick if you let them." Punchinello looked puzzeled and said "What?" El said, "Yes, the stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you will care about those stickers." But Punchinello said "I'm not sure I really understand. What are you saying?" The Maker said "You will but it will take some time. You've got a lot of marks. So for now, just come and see me everyday and let me remind you how much I care about you." Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the floor. "Now remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door, "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." Each time he remembered what Eli told him and each time he went to visit and talk with Eli, one of Punchinello's dots would fall off. They kept falling off and soon they were all gone!!!

Authorship Credit: Max Lucado from his book: You Are Special


So like Punchinello, we must remember one thing, "Man looks on the outward appearence, but God looks on the heart.
(1 Samuel 16:7)









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