Chosen

I always hear that God has a plan for me (Jeremiah 29:11) and everything that is happening is happening for a reason (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, Romans 8:28), but I continually struggle to feel as if I am noticed by God. One thing that I am really working on is developing into a person who feels surrounded and loved by God at all times. I find that, for myself, the easiest way of trying to establish this is by making sure everyone I am in contact with feels as if they are surrounded and loved by God. You'll often find me sending verses to friends when they are having a rough week or reassuring the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 when I notice the doubts people are having. By spreading the love and message of God and his works, I am forcing myself to also see his wonders and power.

Still, I feel as if I am lacking God in my life.

I find that to mostly be because I am so focused on making sure others see the good of God, that I simply forget to let myself see it.

When I was doing my devotional the other night, John 15:1-13 was given as the reading. When I am completing my devotional I always make an effort to read an entire passage, so I found myself continuing my reading through verse 17, thus completing the Vine and the Branches. 

The Vine and the Branches

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

         9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.

The overall message of the devotional was that in order to change, we must allow Jesus to change our hearts. The message itself was impactful, but it was not what stood out the most to me. While majority of the verses in this passage were verses I already had highlighted in my Bible and I had read multiple times, I found that verse 16 stood blank. 
Why? I have no idea. 
Take a moment to read that verse again, maybe multiple times, like I did.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. -John 15:16

If you were able to catch what I caught: you were chosen. Even more so, we did not choose Jesus.
We were hand-picked by our Heavenly Father. He chose us to bear his fruit. In addition to that, He states that we will be bearing fruit that will last. It's something that I just can't get over. God chose me for a specific reason to fulfill specific roles and tasks in my time here on earth. 
How wonderful is that?
I feel so honored and cherished when I read that verse.
Whenever you are doubting God's presence in your life, be reminded that He chose you. You are in this world for a specific reason- one that was specifically chosen by God. It was not your choice, but rather he has handcrafted your life and your story so that you can be a mold to others. 

Feel loved. 

Feel cherished. 

Feel honored. 

God chose you.