Hallelujah. I Belong!
“Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm has already been lavished upon us as a love gift from our wonderful heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus – all because he sees us wrapped into Christ. This is why we celebrate him with all our hearts!
And in love he chose us before he laid the foundation of the universe! Because of his great love, he ordained us, so that we would be seen as holy in his eyes with an unstained innocence.
For it was always in his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children, through out union with Jesus, the Anointed One, so that his tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace – for the same love he had for the Beloved, Jesus, he has for us. And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasures!” Ephesians 1:3-6 (tPt)
These verses say I was thought about and planned before the earth was made. How can that be? I wasn’t conceived in my mother’s womb until 1957 – the month of June to be exact. He planned me before the earth was made? If this is true about me, then it is true about everyone. God planned for every single person on the planet before the planet was even created.
Almighty God who formed the universe, planned for me? I’m not that great in the eyes of the world. I’m just an ordinary woman who lived my life as Marlborough Woman for most of it. Alone, independent, stubborn (I can do this!) while seeking approval from everyone who would give it. What a mess! You can imagine the trouble I hatched up for myself.
Where was I going? I didn’t know. What was I doing? I had a few ideas, like get a job and maybe buy a new car. Travel to some interesting countries. Where is the best beach in the world for the least amount of money? That was about it. I don’t know what I was thinking about back then.
God?
I wasn’t thinking about Him at all. But He was thinking about me. I’m glad these verses in Scripture confirm it. He was actually thinking about me before anybody else was. More exciting than all that (which is pretty darn exciting), these verses say I belong.
That’s right! The bones of these verses simply say I belong. Not only that I belong but that I belong to God.
As a kid, I remember when spring came to the mountains and gym class migrated outside to the sports fields. The game was softball. The PE teacher did the worst thing she could have done to the introverts – us quiet ones in the class. She lined us up in two rows facing each other with the two best athletes in the class (and most popular of course) as team captains. Their job was to pick their team one kid at a time. Who did they pick? The next most athletic person in the class. Down it went until only a few feeble ones were left to pick from. This was the bottom of the barrel. These poor kids were the long-legged skinny ones without any athletic ability whatsoever. These were the poor kids who had about as much co-ordination as – as – what? – I don’t know – a puffin landing on a rock with two or three fish in its mouths. Puffins aren’t very good flyers and if they have a mouth full of fish and are trying to land on a craggy rock – I usually close my eyes, cringe and throw a quick prayer up into the heavenlies for the little guy.
Who was left? Well that would be me and maybe one more kid. We were the ones who didn’t get picked. We didn’t make it in with the popular sporty girls – the jocks. Instead, we stood there while the captains looked us over as if to say “oh brother – which one of the feebs should I pick?” Eventually one of the captains would say “Karen” and the other would say “Cynthia”. The teams were formed and off we would go to play the game of softball. Which I truly was a feeb at. I have to agree, then, with the captains’ hesitancy to choose me as being quite understandable. I didn’t excel in sports at school. But this method of forming teams back in those days sent a clear message to my sensitive heart. “You don’t belong and you don’t fit in here with the rest of us.”
These experiences helped to transform a sensitive heart into a protected heart. Getting picked for the softball team this way was a minor event. Can you imagine a major event? Or a traumatic event? We never know how deep some events, or words, can impact young tender pliable hearts. Perhaps the children with stronger or less sensitive hearts were able to cope better. Perhaps they were able to understand that it wasn’t personal.
Now, take a look at these verses again. Linger with them for a bit longer. Can you read the belonging in them? Can you see the welcoming arm-wrapping acceptance in them? Can you see the heart of the Father pouring His acceptance and imparting His gracious love all over you?
Read these words written by a guy who set off to murder people who followed Jesus. Read these words written by a guy who fell flat on his face in a shock of white light, who lost his sight in that blinding light and was completely transformed when his eyes opened back up again three days later. He had experienced an encounter with Jesus. No longer did he want to murder followers of Jesus but instead he wanted to follow Jesus too. He discovered that he belonged with that band of Jesus followers.
He’s letting you know in these verses that you belong too.
