I hated, and I do mean HATED the game “Red Rover.” I don’t know who “Red Rover” is but I would like to punch him in the face. “Red Rover, Red Rover, send Lu Anne right over.” For an un-athletic, shy little girl you might as well have shot me. And for some stupid reason it seemed to be everyone else’s favorite Vacation Bible School game. You see, I understood what the game was all about. They were calling for the weak one – the one they knew could not break through. For me, having my name chosen was synonymous with rejection. So, I chose not to play. No participation, no rejection. Easy enough.
But unlike the choosing that came during that dreadful childhood game, there have been countless other times in my life when I have been chosen for beautiful and even holy reasons. Being the product of an unwanted pregnancy did not make me unwanted. I was wanted. I was wanted by two people who loved me, sight unseen, and gave me everything that mattered. They gave me love, Jesus, garden vegetables, baby dolls, a brother and a foundation so that one day I could do the choosing.
Someone once said these words to me: “I choose to love you. If you fall into love you can fall out of love. I am choosing to love you!” I chose back and married him. We are still choosing. Some days are hard. Daily choosing takes discipline, hard work and determination, and hanging on for dear life! But for me, choosing to love is not nearly as hard as recognizing that I AM loved. You can be chosen a hundred times and still not get that you are.
At Hope Resource Center it is our desire to see people come to the realization that all of their searching for love and acceptance is in vain unless they first understand that they have already been chosen by God. You see, when God does the choosing, there is no opting out for a shade tree or an easier game like “Duck Duck Goose.” We want them to hear that TRUE LOVE is already calling their names. We want them to see that the outstretched, crucified arms of love are there to catch them, not sling them back onto their rear ends. We want them to know that their ability to understand love is not a hindrance to their being loved. God’s love is a fiercely determined love and he chooses them over and over again because He wants to see them free from the chains of cyclical broken dreams and broken promises. The heart of Hope Resource Center is to show the hurting how dearly loved they truly are. We want them to recognize that God’s love is not a game with a dark side set up to make them fall down or leave them feeling strangled, embarrassed or humiliated.
The really awesome part is that this news is for you, too! You don’t have to be caught in the kinds of traps we see here at Hope Resource Center to be caught in a snare of brokenness. Feeling unloved can be the biggest and most dangerous trap of all. Feelings of worthlessness are not reserved for those that society would view as weak. If it just so happens that today you find yourself doubting how much you are loved, HEAR THIS! You too are dearly loved by God who sent His one and only Son to do the “Red Rover” running over for you, breaking every chain and setting you free to love and be loved. He is both the Chooser and the Chosen and the Chosen One is choosing you! No need to fear the game any longer. It’s over. And Jesus wears the victor’s crown.
posted by Lu Anne Tilson, Director of Operations, Hope Resource Center
