Players are being picked for each side.
It’s popularity vs skill.
Some of us don’t have either one.

This is third grade. Kick-ball.

Childhood memories…

Do you remember those days? Oh, I can still feel the tension that took over my body as my little classmates and I stood  in a line facing the two team captains, trying to pretend “getting picked” didn’t matter.  How athletic I tried (unsuccessfully) to look.  The prayers I made – promising to go to church every day for the rest of my life if God would just get me picked to be on a team…now.

I wanted to be accepted. And getting on a third-grade kick-ball team early in the selection process would be one way of proving I was good enough. Likeable. Accepted.

Grown-up moments…

I’m not in third grade anymore, but I still have my moments of desperately needing to be good enough…liked…accepted.

A healthy self-esteem did not come easy for me. God and I have had many conversations about it. And through those conversations, He has always, gently reminded me of this:

“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine.” (Isaiah 43:1 MSG)

YES!  That’s all the encouragement I need.

God calls my by my name.
God wants me on his team.
God accepts me.

Nobody else in the world loves me like he does.
Nobody else in the world accepts me like He does.
Nobody else in the world has sacrificed so much so I can be on His team.

Lessons learned from the sideline

I’m not going to be the fastest, prettiest, smartest, wittiest, coolest person on the playground all the time.  That’s life.

But…

I’ve gotten out of the “please pick me” line.

I am accepted by The One Who Matters Most.