Not Chosen

Have you ever been the last person chosen?

I have.

It was during 6th grade PE class. We were choosing teams for softball, and Cathy, the prettiest, most popular, and most athletic girl was one of the captains (of course--chosen by the teacher). As she and the other captain sized up the class and began selecting their teams, I was passed over time and time again. 

Skinny, with glasses and long gangling arms and legs, I certainly didn't exude athletic prowess. To Cathy's relief, there was an odd number of players, and I was chosen last by the other team captain. I could almost hear her sigh of relief at being spared the embarrassment of having me on her team

I was assigned to right field--the spot on the field that seldom sees any action. Most balls are hit into left field by right-handed hitters, so I'm sure my captain thought it was the safest place for the player least likely to succeed. After all, if a ball never came my way, I certainly couldn't miss a catch, right?

She forgot one very important fact.

Cathy was a left-handed hitter.

As she stepped up to the plate and oriented her body toward right field, I could see her triumphant, confident grin. She knew she consistently hit the ball into right field. She also knew that I was the only player standing between her and at least a double, maybe even a home run.

I could hear my captain's groan as she realized her fatal error.

Cathy confidently raised her bat, the pitcher released the ball, and she connected with a loud crack, sending the ball straight toward  me.

More out of self-defense than anything else, I stuck the glove in front of my face, closing my eyes until I felt the sharp thwack of the softball hitting my glove. I opened my eyes to the open-mouthed look of disbelief on Cathy's face and the cheers of my teammates.

It was a grand and glorious moment.

The next day in PE class, Cathy picked me first.

You may feel like I did on that first day of PE class. You may feel sorely lacking in skills, personality, or giftedness. You may look around you at others who seem to be everything you are not and feel passed over. If you do, God has some words of encouragement for you.

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  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 1:26-30.

If you are feeling foolish, weak, lowly, or despised, take heart. God has chosen you for both His kingdom and for His work.

Welcome to the team!


Many thanks to my friend Mandy, who reminded me of this truth just when I needed to hear it :)




You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.

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What Were You Created For?

I heard an animal lover say one day that DOG was GOD spelled backward.

While I would never imply that the Creator of the universe and our four-footed furry friends are on equal terms, I understand the heart behind his statement. The man was saying that God endowed our beloved animals with many of His own characteristics: unconditional love, kindness, sensitivity, loyalty, compassion, intelligence, and playfulness, to name a few.

 One of my favorite bumper stickers testifies to a dog's unconditional love. It says "I Hope One Day to Be Half the Man My Dog Thinks I Am."

I was reminded recently of all the reasons I love my dog as I talked with a dear friend. Only ten days ago her beloved Rhodesian Ridgeback, Romeo, was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma is an aggressive form of cancer that usually spreads throughout a dog's body before it presents any external symptoms. Her first cause for concern was a tender, swollen lump on Romeo's leg.

Sent home with an initial diagnosis and instructions to keep him comfortable and pain-free, my friend and her family hoped to have several months with Romeo before the disease claimed his life. Last Wednesday, only ten days later, she and her family bid Romeo a sad farewell.

I had the privilege of knowing Romeo from the time he was a puppy. Reminiscing with my friend over those early days, she told me, "I knew Rhodesian Ridgebacks bond to a whole family, but more than anything, I wanted Romeo to be my dog." To help him bond to her, she would hold him on her lap while she worked at her desk. Needless to say, he was quite content to sit there, curled up into a ball, ready to receive a pat on the head or a kind word.

We chuckled over how effective her bonding strategy was. Before long Romeo was her constant companion as well as her defender and protector. If she sat at her desk, he settled at her feet. If she moved from one room to another, he moved with her. Sometimes he even anticipated her movements, and she would find him ahead of her, blocking her way. If she left the house, he waited for her and met her at the door when she returned. Romeo didn't like men, but Romeo loved his mommy.

We talked about Romeo's last few days. "He was in so much pain, despite double doses of medication," my friend told me. "Every step he took was an effort." Knowing they were going to have to put him down, she and her family spent his last day focused on him. True to form, "every time I moved," she said, "Romeo moved. Even though it was a struggle for him even to stand, if I moved, he moved. Every step was painful, but even more than he wanted to be pain free, he wanted to be with me. He loved me more than he loved himself."

We concluded that Romeo had fulfilled his purpose -- all the way to the end. He was created to be my friend's constant companion, and he fulfilled that destiny despite tremendous cost.

His loyalty and love made me think of my own destiny. You see, just like God created Romeo to bring joy and companionship to my friend and her family, God created me for a purpose too.


Ephesians 1:11-12 describes my destiny. "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory."

My destiny is to live my life in such a way that I bring glory to God.

Matthew 5:16 tells me how.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Sometimes glorifying God comes at great personal cost. Like Romeo followed my friend everywhere even though it caused him great pain, I, too, must choose to follow Christ even when it's painful. Even when it costs something. Even when I don't know where the path leads. I must ask myself, do I love God more than I love myself?

My calling is to follow the One Who loves me best.

It is my destiny.

ROMEO -- December 5, 2003 - January 25, 2012 

You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner

Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.