5 Days to Being Made NewExemplo

belong // we belong to God's family

School

The darkened spots on her skin were unmistakable. They were the reason she hurt, the reason she hid, and the reason the kids all snickered behind her back. No one knew what they were or what caused them, and no one cared to know until her mother ended up in front of our eighth-grade class right before our big field trip to the beach.

Her voice cracked as she explained her daughter’s condition. She told us about the tumors that crushed her nerves and the resulting pain. But mostly, she told us about the tears of fear. For weeks leading up to this trip, her daughter worried about what the other kids would think of her exposed skin in a bathing suit. Something broke open in me that day because as I sat and listened to her mother’s plea for kindness, I felt a nudge—a little invitation to an unsought friendship.

I accepted, though it did not come without consequences. I knew I’d be forced to leave the safety of the approval I had garnered from my peers. I knew I’d have to forge my own path.

The waves of judgment about our friendship rolled in one after the other in varying degrees of force. They washed away my friendships, social status, and overall sense of belonging in the world. But looking back now, I see the gifts that sprang forth from the turmoil.

I couldn’t have anticipated the plan that God would unfurl through our friendship, that she would eventually be my maid of honor, and that I would eventually be hers. I couldn’t have seen the concerts we’d scream our way through or the late nights we’d stay up talking or the tears we’d both cry on the day her father died. I just knew, sitting there in my eighth-grade class, that God had planted a seed and I was responsible for its growth.

It wasn’t always easy to get it to sprout because I was still pouring it out into friendships that were phony as I sought a frivolous social status. That little seed didn’t fully flourish until I stopped trying to find my place of belonging in others, until I let God’s word direct my actions.

I’m not always good at listening to God’s promptings. More often than not, His words get lost in the chaos of my days. But the gospel speaks loudly if you let it lead you to follow the nudges He places in your heart. You may lose friends and status. But so much beauty awaits.

Our scripture for today reminds us that “everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17).

The realization that you belong to Christ comes with a responsibility, one rooted in trust, in knowing your place in His wonderful plan and allowing it to dictate your response. It is a cooperation with grace. You, dear sister, are “equipped for every good work,” as we hear in today’s reading. You are strong and capable and ready.

And I know you may fear what He is asking of you. I know you may feel His gentle nudge on your heart and worry late into the night about the job you might lose or the friends that might leave if you follow it. The waves look scary; it’s true. They look big and powerful and intimidating. But, sister, you have been given a great responsibility. You have been called to swim.

Something marvelous waits for you in those waves, something He is waiting to teach you, or some way He is waiting to reach you. Dive in, sister. Leave your fear and your stress on the shore. Allow Him to carry you to safety.

And when the waves threaten to swallow you whole, when you’re kicking and screaming for help, look to Him. He will be your lifeline.

And just keep swimming.

ponder

Think about the ways you feel invisible to those around you, the ways you feel unincluded. Are you waiting for them to give you permission to be seen? Do you think you aren’t necessary unless you’re validated by someone else? This myth of your belonging being conditional upon other peoples’ invitation or approval is inaccurate. Set it aside today.

prayer

Lord Jesus, I am Your sister and belong to Your family. Thank You for dying for me and opening the gates of heaven for me. When I am struggling to find my place, I know it is already in You. Amen.

action

Today, say to yourself: I belong because I’m a part of God’s family.