“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,    I know that full well.    (Psalms 139:14 NIV)

Do you have a passion in your heart but feel that you are too old, too young, too uneducated, or too plain looking to successfully pursue it. The story of Susan Boyles goes to show us that it is never too late to start and it does not matter how you are packaged.  You can start any time in your life to show the world and yourself what you can do with the special and unique talents you have been given. Do not allow other people’s judgement to deter you. Susan Boyle launched her successful music career at the age 48 and you too can still launch your dream. Just take courage.

Susan Boyle a Scottish church volunteer, decided to enter a competition dubbed “British got talent” at the age of 47 years. On April 15^th 2009, when Susan got up to sing, the audience was shocked by her age and unsophistication.

Middle aged women were not the usual type of competitor on the show and the audience was shocked when she said before starting to sing that she wanted to become a professional singer. To them she looked well past such possibilities. However, she amazed everybody with her wonderful voice and became an overnight singing sensation. It was reported that she got a standing ovation and that within 9 days, 100 million  people had watched her performances and interviews on the internet and a record deal was being set up for her.

This was a lot of progress for an unemployed woman who lived alone with her cat. Most of her life had been spent looking after her mother who had died aged 92, two years earlier. She had never married or in her words, “been kissed”. Susan had learning difficulties and had only once been employed as a trainee cook.

Even though Susan did not win the” British Got Talent Show” and came up second, two years later, she has already come up with two successful albums

Various writers have likened Susan Boyle’s story as representing a victory over today’s youth culture that often dismisses middle aged women as “past it”.  Others have seen it as a triumph over society which expects talented women to be both young and good looking (without such expectation being made for men), Some also liken it to talent overcoming adversity and poverty, and others yet as fairy tale where the homely suddenly become pretty - rising from poverty and insignificance to fame.

Many people are touched by her story because Susan Boyle is like each of us in one way or another – full of weaknesses and vulnerability, often disappointed and mocked by others. However, unlike many of us who usually give up too soon, she nevertheless had the determination to fight for her dream.

A lot of people underestimate themselves. We must look beyond our insecurities to God's Word which can give us the hope, strength and determination to attain our life’s desires. If we place our faith and trust in the promises of God, then we can trust that our dreams will be realized in God's own appointed time. We need to remember that we are all beautiful in God’s eyes and made in His image. He has given us all wonderful gifts that are sometimes not wrapped up in the expected ways. We therefore need to remember to always look deeper and not go by appearances. Otherwise we miss all that is truly beautiful and lasting by failing to develop it.