People fascinate me. I think that’s one of the gifts God gave me for my writing. I love to sit and watch them. No two are the same (unless it’s a set of identical twins dressed in matching outfits).
I sat in an airport for many hours awhile back due to six flight delays. The concourse was busy, providing an endless stream of folks for my entertainment. There was a senior citizen and a young man deep in conversation as they walked slowly down the corridor. A couple of businessmen carrying leather briefcases rushed by in their custom suits and crisp white shirts.
Next came a harried mom in jeans juggling several small children, a diaper bag and luggage. And then I saw a stylish older lady dressed in leopard, and a woman with clothing so tight that it looked like it had been shrink-wrapped.
I could almost hear my people-watching buddy, Debbie, whispering “She shouldn’t have gone there!” as Miss Shrink-Wrapped walked by.
I loved watching everyone, and my mind went on an adventure as I imagined their backstories and where all of them were heading. So maybe now you’ll understand why I enjoy watching some of the reality shows on television.
Besides the outward appearance of the contestants, I’m intrigued by their personalities, how they respond to situations and each other, and how sometimes it’s easy to pick up on those who know Jesus because it shows in the little moments of their lives.
I was watching one of the music shows last week that I’d saved on my DVR. On this particular episode, they were narrowing the finalists down from eight to six. They’d all worked so hard, and it had been awesome watching their improvement over the past weeks. Dramatic music played in the background, heightening the tension as the line of young men and women on the stage waited to see if their names were called as “safe.”
Great joy and relief were evident on the faces of the first few whose names were called, but I felt so sorry for the ones who still stood there waiting. The nerves were evident in their tight expressions, in their stiff posture.
The host said, “And the next person safe is…” and then the silence seemed like it went on forever as they dragged out the moment. The longer the silence lasted, the more tense the contestants became . . . and the more tense I became with them as I pulled for my favorites. I could tell that one or two of them had given up hope by that point.
I was at home yelling inside my head, “Just go ahead and tell them already! They’re dying up there!”
And then the host said, “We’ll be back after commercial to see if America has saved you.” Noooooo! My heart hurt for them, knowing they’d have to wait even longer to see if they were safe or if they’d be going home.
And then God whispered to me, “Aren’t you grateful that you don’t have to worry about America saving you like those contestants? Even better, you have a God that saved you. A God who did all the work, who paid the price for you. A God who chose you—not based on your merit—but because He loved you unconditionally.”
I’m so grateful for a people-watching God. He looked into a sea of humanity and his heart hurt for us because we were dying and without hope. Unlike those contestants who stood there that night in fear, who waited and waited, concerned that they wouldn’t be chosen, we don’t have to be anxious about that.
The God of the universe chose me . . . and you. We don’t have to fear that we’ll be rejected. The welcome mat is out for all to come to Him.
Think of that: He chose you.
Sweet friends, if you haven’t met Jesus before, today would be a great time for you to choose Him and ask Him into your heart.
…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (Ephesians 1:4-5)
