He Chose Her.
Photo of a person picking a flower. Photo by Reagan nicole on Unsplash
We have entered the season of Lent. Perhaps the most sacred journey toward remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. While reading my devotional about John 20: 16 and 17, these three words as Stevie would say, pierced my heart and arrested my breath. Out of all the individuals that Jesus encountered, healed, delivered, set free and led, He chose to reveal himself to a woman whose past and by societal standards should not have allowed her to stand in proximity, let alone be the recipient and witness of Jesus’ resurrection. Nevertheless, Jesus entrusted Mary Magdalene, a woman formerly possessed by demons to carry the message of His soon to be ascension to heaven. Out of everyone available, He Chose Her.
We can get caught in a loop of uncertainty, questioning God as to why He has allowed our circumstances to present as they are. If we can but pause and consider the possibility that we are chosen for each encounter, even hand picked by the Savior himself, perhaps our peace will prevail as we endure what God’s allowed. It’s far easier for us to consider being chosen when there is evidence of “good.” When I was a growing up, I loved Sunday School. I had the most incredible teacher. Her name was Mrs. Richardean Wilson. Additionally, she was the church pianist. She loved God and she purposed herself, her posture and her teachings to get her pupils equally excited. I can not hear the Christmas carol, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” without thinking of the many hours we practiced to sing that song with her accompanying us. She had a way with sharing the Good News that made Sunday mornings joyful. When a few of us aged out of her class, she elected to move up with us and continued to be our teacher. Now that I’m grown, I can only imagine the politics that took place behind the scenes, but whatever they were, she navigated them and we we under her tutelage for a few more years. She chose us. It felt incredible. I felt seen. I felt heard. I felt chosen.
Yet when we consider a less than favorable condition or challenge, we don’t feel seen or heard; in fact we may even feel a sense of abandonment, isolation, even forgotten. Those feelings are real and I don’t suggest otherwise. But what if we gird ourselves and ground ourselves in the words offered in the song, “Fear is not my future,” by Maverick City Music? “Let him turn it in your favor. Watch Him work it for your good. He’s not done with what He’s started. He’s not done until it’s good.” If it’s not good - He’s not done! He chooses us daily and so we must reciprocate and do the same! As He chooses us, may we be reminded that nothing shall be wasted. In John 6:12, Jesus instructed the disciples to gather the pieces that are left over. “Let nothing be wasted.” Life presents events and experiences that leave us fragmented, but God can create a masterpiece from our brokenness. Our portal for protection during the storms of life are rooted in staying close to the One who not only chose us, but the One who will see us to the ending - until it’s good.
On last evening, I learned that Mrs. Richardean Wilson became an ancestor. She is resting in the One who loved her most; the One who chose her and the One who chooses us.