Jacqueline here! As I have said before, God is always using my daughter Katherine to teach me new things about Him. This time, it was about being chosen. 

Last week Katherine and I went to an event for her daycare. Her little friend Bella was there and Bella’s mother sought me out and said, “I have been meaning to call you about this. Bella’s 5th birthday is coming up and I told her she could choose ONE friend to have a sleepover on her birthday night. She wanted Katherine! So, can Katherine come spend the night this Friday night?”

Bella is the sweetest little girl – the one I would choose for Katherine to be best friends with if I could choose her friends!

For some reason, I just felt this SURGE of pride about Katherine being chosen! Out of all the little girls in their daycare classroom, Bella chose my Katherine! I was so proud that the kids like her and that she gets picked! I pray for Katherine all the time that she will never be hurt emotionally or suffer rejections – I know it’s silly, but I just don’t want her to feel that pain.

I began thinking about my younger days. Oh, how I despised standing on the wall in grade school when the two captains would choose – one at a time – the kids they wanted on their team. I would just pray that I wouldn’t be picked last.

Or trying out for a team in high school, hoping I’d make the cut.  

Or auditioning for the school musical, wishing for the leading role, but being cast as “Nurse #4” in South Pacific – I didn’t even have a character name!!!!

Of course, all of this is character building, and vital to learning how to deal with failures, but God brought something VERY important to my mind as I thought of Katherine being chosen for the sleepover.

He reminded me:

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4

What pride we should feel at all times that God CHOSE US. I felt such pride that Bella chose Katherine, but how much more should I feel that God chose ME!?!? And not just that He chose me, but that He had ME in mind even before He created the world!!!! We have such worth and we are so important to the One who matters most.

So next time you’re up for selection, whether you get chosen or you get cast as Nurse #4, I hope you’ll remember: You have been chosen and you are worth everything to God.