The last week or two have been so full of
God’s provision and abundant blessing in my life. Every day another gift,
beautiful and unexpected. I am consistently surprised at just how good He is to
me. I shared this with a close friend recently, giggling with as though I was surprised,
and even a little caught off guard by His goodness, like a little girl who just
received a gift from her Daddy. Most who know me understand the sweet response
this would evoke due to the deep love I have for my father. My friend’s
response was perfect. “He loves you, Alexa. You’re one of His favorites.” We
kind of laughed it off, but after the conversation ended I couldn’t stop
thinking about that statement- I’m one of His favorites. This is what I have
felt like the past few weeks. Lavished with love. I can’t help but believe that
this is what He wants every one of His children to feel, all the time. Each and
every one of us created perfectly in His image. Each one cherished. Each one
“one of His favorites.” How would life change and the way we treat/serve people
change if we thought of each other as such? If we treated every person we came
in contact with as beloved of God, cherished by God, one of God’s favorite
people? I assume that our lives and ultimately our world would change
drastically if we no longer looked at each other through the lens of stigmas
and stereotypes, but rather, as God’s favorites. People he intricately knit
together in their mother’s womb in His imagine. His. The God of the Universe delights,
DELIGHTS, in us. Could we rest in that? Do we really believe that? In a world
so bound up in pain, suffering, loss, disappointment, injustice, and sin it’s
easy to lose sight of this truth. In fact, I think it is probably one of the
biggest lies that Satan feeds us- “If you were really His favorite would he
really put you through this or let this happen?” The hard truth is that despite
his goodness he doesn’t make us choose Him, and so because we live in a broken
messed up world with broken messed up people this pain in suffering often
enters our lives because of our choices or the choices of others when we fail
to choose Him. There is beauty to be found in this sad circumstance though- HE
WASTES NOTHING. There is purpose in every breathe, tear, and giggle we breathe,
cry, or laugh. He is always good. Our circumstances don’t change or define His
character. He is constant; the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. AND….he
even allows us, when we choose him, to be His hands and feet. To bring the hope
that is found in Him, in the midst of chaos, to those around us. He gives us
eyes to see people as His favorites. I just think that’s the coolest.
