Gems of Truth 2 - God
Chose You!
When I was a teenager,
I attended youth camp. I loved being
there and enjoyed many of the activities in which we could get involved. One such activity was softball.
Everyone who wanted to play lined
up and the captains of the teams started picking their team members. The captains took one look at me and shook
their heads. I was tall and thin and appeared
a bit awkward I guess. One by one the
team members were chosen. I remained the
last and went on my team by default. I was assigned left fielder. When one of the guys on our opponent’s team
got up to bat, he took a good look over the whole field and decided to hit the
ball to me. He must have thought the “scrawny”
girl in leftfield wasn’t going to catch his ball. But I proved him wrong! Little did he or anyone else for that matter know
that I had been a topnotch ball player on my school’s team back home! I caught that ball and he was out! And when
it was my turn to bat, I hit a home run.
Boy was the opposite team’s captain sorry he hadn’t chosen me!
We read in the Scriptures,
For we know, brothers loved by God, that
he has chosen you, (1 Thessalonians
1:4 NIV) and But God chose the foolish
things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world
to shame the strong. He chose the lowly
things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to
nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1
Corinthians 1:27-29 NIV)
One evening I was
watching a video tape on the life of missionary Jim Elliot who was brutally
murdered along with four other missionaries by the Auca tribe in Ecuador. Jim’s wife, Elisabeth, her daughter Valerie,
and Rachel Saint, another missionary’s wife remained in Ecuador. In time they
led many of the Auca tribe to the Lord.
As I watched the video, I asked the Lord why He had allowed me to be
born and live in the United Sates where I heard about Him and His love and why
I had not been born in some other country such as Ecuador where no one had
heard about Him. I heard His Spirit
whisper to my spirit, “Because I chose you.”
At a camp meeting many
years ago I knelt at the altar and told the Lord He could use me any way He saw
fit. I wanted His love to flow in and
through me. Since then I have been
amazed at all the ways he has used me - through my hobby of taking pictures of
his awesome creation and making them into encouraging photo cards, through
speaking engagements and personal contact.
Unlike the camp softball team captains who did
not chose me to play, God chooses each of us for His “team.” He has a special plan and purpose for our
lives that no one else can fill. He
loves us and wants us on His “team.” If
you have never opened your heart to the Lord to be chosen by Him, why don’t
you do so. You will be amazed at what he
may chose you to do!