Chosen by God

There’s something about childhood rejection that sticks with you, isn’t there?

For me, it showed up every time teams were picked for games - me standing there, waiting, pretending not to care. It showed up in those lonely recess walks down the hallway, the quiet lunches spent alone, and the way I tried to make myself invisible so I wouldn’t have to feel the sting of being unwanted again.

I didn’t know then that those moments of being left out were shaping a story that God would one day redeem in the most beautiful way.

Because one day, the same girl who felt forgotten and unseen discovered she’d been chosen all along - by a God who never overlooks, never forgets, and never stops loving. 💛

This is my story - a story of how Jesus took the girl who was always picked last and showed her what it means to be chosen first in His heart.

I pray as you read this, you’ll see pieces of your own story too - and be reminded that you’re chosen, loved, and seen right where you are.

People always joke about being the one picked last for sports when we were younger. Well… that was me. Every. Single. Time.

I can still remember that sinking feeling - standing there while everyone else got chosen, hearing that long, reluctant sigh when my name finally came up. It was embarrassing, and honestly, it made me feel invisible. I wasn’t good at sports, I was shy, and I never quite fit in. I was the quiet girl who roamed the hallways at recess, the one who ate lunch alone, trying to make herself as small as possible.

But what no one saw was the pain behind that shyness. I was a little girl carrying deep wounds from being sexually abused - broken, afraid, and unsure of my worth. I didn’t have the confidence to speak up, and I definitely didn’t believe I was someone worth choosing.

Then one day… everything changed.

When I met Jesus and truly found out that He chose me - not reluctantly, not because He had to, but because He wanted me - it was like something cracked open inside my heart. For the first time in my life, I felt seen. I felt wanted. I felt chosen.

And not just for a team… but for a purpose.

Ephesians 1:4 says, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.” That means before anyone ever rejected me, before anyone ever hurt me, before I ever stood alone in a cafeteria or hid behind my fear - God had already called my name.

Being chosen by God isn’t about popularity or performance. It’s about love. It’s about grace. It’s about a Savior who looks at the broken, overlooked, and unqualified and says, “That one. She’s mine.”

Now, when I think back on that shy little girl who used to eat lunch alone, I just smile. Because she didn’t know then what I know now - that even when no one else saw her, God did. He had His hand on her life all along.

So to the one who’s ever felt forgotten, left out, or picked last - hear this today: You are chosen. Not by chance, but by the God who makes no mistakes. 💛

John 15:16 (NIV)

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.”

Isaiah 43:1 (NIV)

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.”

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.”

1. Have you ever felt overlooked or “picked last” in life? How has that shaped how you see yourself?

2. What does it mean to you personally that God chose you before the foundation of the world?

3. How can you remind yourself of your worth and identity in Christ on the days you still feel unseen?

4. Who in your life might need a reminder that they’re chosen, too - and how can you share that truth with them this week?

Lord, thank You for choosing me - even when I felt forgotten, even when I doubted my worth. Remind me that my value isn’t based on who picks me here on earth, but on the fact that I was chosen by You in Heaven. Help me to walk in confidence, love, and gratitude for the calling You’ve placed on my life. In Jesus’ name, amen. 💛