God’s Odd Choices

 

“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:13

I am the youngest child in my birth family. While I was raised within spitting distance of some the wealthiest and most influential people in our city, my family had no wealth or influence. As the years passed I became a wife, a mother, not a wife and a wife again. I remained the last child, the oops baby, the mistake of older parents who had no interest in another child, let alone another girl. More years passed and in them I’ve worked in a job that I love but that carries no allure, level of respect or notoriety.

Doesn't sound too glamorous does it? It isn't. I came from inauspicious beginnings and have continued along in a fairly average life or at least that's how it looks. If you know me at all, you know that my life has been full of ups and downs, some very nice moments, some real triumphs, some heartbreaks and some failure. See, ordinary. Except, my life is not ordinary. Every day is an adventure. Not because of me, my choices or activities but because I live my life focused, as much as I can, on God. I know my Redeemer lives. I know that I am His and that makes my life pretty special.

God is amazing. Read His book. Talk about ups and downs. And characters.... the stories in the Bible are filled with very interesting men and women. Out of all the powerful, important, well spoken, over achievers, God chooses people like David, Moses, Gideon, Esther, Mary and Peter, to name just a few. They all have two things in common, they weren't the top of the heap and they were willing to answer the call. Well, eventually they were willing.

Just recently I've had two people tell me that I've made a difference in their faith lives. It isn't me, which I was quick to remind them. It's all God but He did use me to reach them. Did you see what that said? God used me, last born of a non-descript family, from an ordinary neighborhood in an ordinary city, moderately educated, as in I have no letters after my name, with an ordinary day job but with the one thing that David, Moses, Gideon, Esther, Mary and Peter had, a desire to please my Father. To hear and respond to the call from the great I AM.

Here's the good news. You can answer the call too. Do not say He isn't calling you. He is! Maybe not right this minute but at some point, you will be called on to do the will of God. (Ephesians 2:10) When He calls you might be shocked, you might say no at first, but once you say yes, you will see that it is just what you were meant to do all along.