His Chosen Ones
Blog | Family | Life Lessons
She was one of a mob of children sitting cross-legged on the floor. I couldn’t see her eyes hiding behind tousled pigtails, but I could tell by the stiff posture of her shoulders that she was listening intently to the young woman at the front of the room, the woman who held the list.
The traveling theater had come to town and Hannah wanted to be a part of a “real play.” By the looks of the eager crowd, so did about one hundred others. When I’d dropped her off for auditions two hours earlier, the room had been flooded with drama-wannabes. Her shoulders had sagged at the sight. She’d understood what the milling masses meant: Not everyone would walk away with a part.
I’d squeezed her hand and reminded her that she was my favorite drama queen whether or not she earned a place in the cast. “Just be yourself and have fun,” I’d encouraged before I flew out the door to catch her brother’s basketball game. “I’ll be back before the auditions are over.”
She’d flashed me a nervous smile and then joined the crowd seeking a spot on stage. I’d left whispering hopeful prayers and processing how to help her walk through disappointment if her name wasn’t called at the end of the evening.
Now the director was calling names, handing out scripts. After two hours of auditions, the chosen ones were being named. I craned my head to see if Hannah was already holding a piece of paper. Perhaps her name had been called before I’d arrived. Or maybe we’d leave empty-handed. I willed my daughter to look my way; then whooped a silent cheer as she waved her script and mouthed those three sweet words: “They picked me!”
We don’t need to be eight-year-olds at play tryouts to understand the deep longing to be chosen. The bride does not merely glow because she’s in love; she glows because she has been CHOSEN by her groom. The orphan does not just long for a family, but he longs to be CHOSEN by a parent who wants him. To be chosen imparts value. To be chosen implies that we are special and wanted.
God declares He has not only created us, but He has also CHOSEN us, and it gave Him great pleasure to do the choosing! In God’s family, everyone gets a part. Not just any part, but the best part. On Heaven’s stage, each of us stands in the spotlight. Every child of God gets to be the star. In the amazing complexity of the Lord’s boundless love, He loves each one of us as if we were His only. As if we were His favorite. In the words of A.W. Tozer, An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to teach one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.
In the ongoing drama that is my life, I often feel like I’m forced to choose between my children. Who gets my time now- the child waiting to climb on my lap and read a book or the one begging for homework help? The one who won’t stop talking or the one who has disappeared in silence?
Thankfully, though I may need to choose who receives my time and attention moment by moment, I never need to choose who gets my love. The miracle of parenting in the power of the Holy Spirit is that we get to love like God loves. Every child entrusted into our care can be our favorite. Not because of our own capacity to love well, but because of His. God has created us in his image, with the potential to fully love each of our children without depleting another’s measure of affection. That is the miracle of being cast into God’s story.
The Overflow: Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. -Ephesians 1:4, The Message
Wow! We get to be the focus of His love – to be made whole and holy! The Message says that in such an awesome way! Thanks for sharing and yeah for Hannah!
~Robin
Whoo Hooo! I love the thought of being chosen!!!!
And I love all the stories of our
friends…Hannah is missed by one sweet Missouri girl!
I love your parallel! How exciting for your daughter…and for us as we contemplate ourselves as chosen ones in God’s story! Loved this!