"I choose . . . you."

You have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have. –J. R. R. Tolkien


Remember those days back in middle school or high school, when Gym Day meant choosing up teams for basketball or volleyball? Maybe you were a team captain, the one whose task it was to pull together a group of misfits and ragamuffins, plus maybe a couple of talented athletes, and make a game of it. Or maybe, like me, you were one of those misfits, who would rather sneak off in a corner and have nothing to do with such stuff.

Maybe you have a memory of being chosen last, of wishing you could just sink into the floor and disappear, because suddenly, in the eyes of your classmates, you seemed worthless. Not good enough.

Thankfully, God never sees any of us that way. At his baptism, Jesus clearly heard the voice of the Creator: You are my Son; I love you, and in you I am well-pleased (Mark1:11). And the same is true for each one of us: We are, each and all, beloved children of God, and in us God is well-pleased. Crazy in love—with you. (With me, too.)

Nothing—and no one—can diminish your worth in the eyes of the Almighty. You are loved—just because. God has chosen you. You may stumble and fall, you may have setbacks and days (or weeks . . .) when you feel as if no one loves you, as if the whole world is ganging up on you. It doesn’t matter. God has chosen—you. Beautiful, grace-filled you. And when God looks on you? God’s joy is uncontainable.


Monday Begin this morning with a long look in the mirror. Affirm, out loud, your status as a beautiful child of the Divine. Psalm 4:7-8

Tuesday Veterans Day Thank God today for those who served in the Armed Forces, preserving our freedom. Pray for those who continue to serve. Psalm 15:1-5

Wednesday As you go about your day, look for beauty in the world. Be deliberate—and name it. Give thanks. Psalm 139:14-16

Thursday Reach out to someone whom you sense is struggling. Listen. Love them like Jesus loves you. Offer to pray with them. Psalm 51:10-12

Friday The winter breezes are beginning to blow. Do you have any winter outerwear you no longer need or wear? Consider giving it away so another might be warmer. Psalm 62:1-2

Saturday Today, as you pray for yourself, affirm again the beautiful creation God see when God gazes on your face. Imagine yourself resting in God’s holy presence. Psalm 84:1-4

Sunday Come to worship today prepared to celebrate! Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place! Genesis 28:16-17



You’ve made this a special day just by being yourself. There’s no one else in the world quite like you. –Fred McFeely (Mister Rogers’ grandfather)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more