On a truly "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day"* this proclamation from Peter's first letter is reassuring. You are chosen; you are God's; you have a purpose in this world. When you have lost your mooring or the GPS is down, when the instruction book for life has been lost, this passage gives identity and direction.
For some folks, it also grants them a status they have never claimed. They are chosen. If you were the person who was ALWAYS chosen last for any team; if you were the middle schooler who never had a group call out to you at lunch so you would sit with them; if you were the person who was never included in the group invitation, being chosen is a wondrous word of grace. Belonging, being loved, being known.
If your history includes standing on the sidelines, anonymous and feeling lost, then the grace of this proclamation is so precious it takes the breath away.....if you could only believe it faithfully. If you could only hold these words in your ear, in your heart, in your day then the joy of the moment might grow into the joy of living.
But it's a tough job because the world has 4000+ opportunities a day to tell you how you fall short. You are too short, too poor, the wrong race, too fat, too thin, too smart, too dumb, too uneducated, unstylish, the wrong political color, the wrong religious color.....go on and on. The world has 4000+ ways to convince you that this make-up or this car or this investment or this book or this boat or these clothes will transform you into the beautiful, acceptable one.
We all know it is a lie because you no sooner fix one part of yourself then you notice another that needs fixing. You will never be able to run fast enough to make yourself into the perfect, acceptable, stylish, 'in' person that appears to be promised. Every single one of us is playing catch up in the game of perfection.
Unless, of course, we believe Jesus when he says, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people...." Or you could believe that you are treasured by the Creator of the Universe; you could believe that God knows you and has a place and a mission for you; you could trust God more than all the voices of this world. You could believe that God knows you and has chosen YOU.
Perhaps today, for a couple of hours, you can trust this, "You are God's beloved child" Tattoo that on your arm, your leg, your back, your heart....so you won't forget when that 'terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day' strikes again.
* Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, written by Judith Viorst is the name of one of my children's favorite books. It's a title that speaks to us all.
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