Chosen

The sun was blazing hot on the asphalt playground, my hulking shadow providing ample shade for the rest of the kids. I knew I would be last. I was always last. But no matter how often it happened, my stomach still churned every time, and my vision blurred through tears that stung my eyes. I whispered to myself, “Stop it! Don’t let them see you crying! It’ll only be worse if they see you cry!”

Kicking at the yellow paint that outlined the kickball diamond, I pretended to wipe sweat from my eyes and fantasized about making some crazy good play, saving the game, and having everyone cheer for me. The coach would see it and maybe even ask me to be on some kind of team. Then I would be made team captain next time and I wouldn’t have to stand there, waiting for the inevitable.

Oh yeah…the inevitable. Glancing upward, I was drawn back to reality. All the jocks and beautiful kids were gone. The rich kids and the smart kids would be next. As the group got smaller and smaller, the knots in my stomach wrenched tighter and tighter, and it came down to me and the weird kid who ate his boogers. Despite booger-boy’s questionable habits, he could run. And there I was…just as I expected…taking my walk of shame to the team that ended up with me as they rolled their eyes, turned their backs, and walked onto the field.

We all knew what it meant to have your name called. It meant, in some way or another, you were accepted. Whether a formidable threat to the other team or called in by a loyal friend, you were somebody to somebody. But when your name never got called…well…

You’re a nobody. Unwanted. Unaccepted. Unseen.

Those words rang in my heart for years. They formed habits of unhealthy, self-protective behavior and layer upon layer of insecurities. Can you relate? Maybe you weren’t rejected as a child, but perhaps you’ve been left at the altar, passed over for a promotion, disowned by family, or cheated on by a spouse. The wounds of rejection can be deep and life-altering.

If only I had known Jesus. If only I had known how deeply I am loved. The first time I read the words of Hagar in Genesis, chapter 16, as she cried out to “El Roi”…the God Who Sees Me, it completely wrecked me. As the truth of God’s Word resonated in my heart, I knew for the first time, I was the apple of Someone’s eye. And it wasn’t just someone…it was the Ultimate Someone—the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Creator of the Universe. He saw me, intimately, without barriers or facades. He saw me and He didn’t point and laugh. He saw me and He didn’t call me names. But He DID call me BY name.

Look at Isaiah 43, as we replace Jacob’s name with our own.

“Listen, [Lisa], to the One who created you, [Lisa], to the one who shaped who you are. Do not fear, for I, your Kinsman-Redeemer, will rescue you. I have called you by name, and you are mine.

Isaiah 43:1 (TPT)

When He called me by my name, my heart became whole. It’s not as if I was never rejected again. I have most definitely felt the sting of rejection many times since that day. But the very next verse tells me what happens when I do.

When you pass through the deep, stormy sea, you can count on me to be there with you. When you pass through raging rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through persecution like fiery flames, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you, for I am your Savior, Yahweh, your mighty God, the Holy One of Israel…

Isaiah 43:2-3 (TPT)

First of all, I have never been left there, standing all alone. Even when I didn’t know it, God has been with me every step of the way. Despite the raging rivers and the fiery flames that we must face in life, the truth is…The rejection of people NEVER compares to the acceptance of God!

Jesus further underscores this truth in John 16:33 as He gives us a promise that we really only want the second half of.

And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!”

John 16:33 (TPT)

The world is full of trouble. Oh yes, it’s coming. But His peace (the kind that surpasses all understanding) is available, even in the midst of it.

It has been over a decade, actually closer to two decades, since God first revealed this facet of His nature to me, and I still get giddy every time I think about it. He has healed me from the once crippling effects of insignificance and given me a spirit of boldness and confidence that can only come from Him. I am so thankful to know who I am because of Who He is in me! Yet, because He is a good Father and He knows how deeply wounded I once was in this area, He continues to remind me. Even this morning, I felt Him snuggling up close to me as I woke up to this:

But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. For at one time you were not God’s people, but now you are. At one time you knew nothing of God’s mercy, because you hadn’t received it yet, but now you are drenched with it!

1 Peter 2:9-10 (TPT)

Thank You, Daddy, for the reminder! I am chosen. Treasured. Set apart. I am drenched in Your mercy! And to my friends who are still reading along, so are YOU! No matter what someone else has done or said or how they’ve hurt you, please be assured that the God of the Universe has chosen YOU. And when you face trials of all kinds, He will be your peace as He makes a way where there seems to be no way.

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Father, I pray for every person who is reading this right now and who may be struggling with feelings of despair, abandonment, and insignificance. If they don’t yet know of your mercy, I thank You for continuing to draw them, by your Spirit, into a deep love affair with You. Give them the courage they need to simply say, “yes,” and to allow You to refute the lies the enemy has tried to sell them about who they truly are.

For those who have already accepted the extravagant gift of salvation, I pray that they will allow You to further define their true identity. Reveal the significant role they have been assigned to play in Your Kingdom, long before the foundations of the earth were even set in place. Help them comprehend the truth of Who You are to them, and who they are to You, so they will truly know that they too are chosen, treasured, and drenched in your mercy! In whatever trials they are facing, help them to rest confidently in your overwhelming peace.