Chapter 10 “Chosen Children”

Chapter 10 is an amazing amount of understanding thrown at us. The title really does speak clearly to what this chapter is about. What does it mean to be chosen children?

Between 1854 and 1929 about two hundred thousand orphans and abandoned children in eastern cities were placed on westbound trains and shipped across the United States in search of homes and families. These children were auctioned away to people who would want them, and when people didn’t want them, they’d get back on the train. The Orphan Train.

These children were chosen, maybe not to the best of families, or maybe the child wasn’t in the best of conditions, broken emotionally. But they were chosen by people, adopted would be the word today.

A couple weeks ago, my sister Misty was home for spring break from her university upstate New York. We both had to go to the dentist for regular check ups, so we went together. While the wait was long, we just sat and caught up and played games on our phones. We were talking about something to do with Florida, where we lived for almost half a year. Two kids and a older black woman were checking in at the desk and one of them overheard me and misty and said that they’re from Florida as well. That opened conversation and they sat with us. One was 17 and hispanic, skaterish and the other was 14 and white with freckles and glasses.

The 17 year old was just opening up to me, kind of like no one would ever hear what he had to say. He was strong, emotionally. He told me that they live in Yonkers in a group home, that the younger kid isn’t his brother. He told me about his mother that died a few years ago in Florida, and that’s why he lives here now. He was intrigued with my phone, like he can never see himself getting one, that’s when he told me he doesn’t have a phone. I understood what he had gone through. I’ve been through many things in my life, foster care, moving drastically, and poor has always been my financial class. The only reason I have a phone now is because I work.

But something about him was so strong and admirable. I would love to strive to be like him. But even more so it made me thankful; not because of some of the material things I have, but because I am a chosen child. My mother a few years ago finally reunited my whole family, for many reasons we had been separated. She chose to bring us together again. And for that, I am so greatly thankful to her.

Even more so, I am a chosen child from God. I had been lost, and now that I am found, He has chosen me, adopted me into his family and says join the table. With that I have identity, I do not need to look further than that.

“Your identity is not in your possessions, talents, tattoos, kudos, or accomplishments. Nor are you defined by your deficiencies, divorce, debt, or dumb choices. You are God’s Child. You get to call him “Papa.” You “may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12). You receive the blessings of his special love (1 John 4:9-11) and provision (Luke 11:11-13). And you will inherit the riches of Christ and reign with him forever (Romans 8:17).”

Your identified as God’s chosen children. You are looked on as righteous and love and grace is poured down on you. And you get to look up and give thanks to your father. And that is amazing and all the understanding you need.

Chapter 11 “Heaven: Guaranteed”

Many people look at christians and think, “hypocrites.” They see a christian go out and kill a man or cheat on her husband or have gay relations. But they don’t understand something very important: just because someone states who they are doesn’t mean that is who they really are.

I have seen many people fight this argument, and there’s a loss, not because of the argument, but because they don’t know their life is the loss. See let me make an example. I’m walking down the platform as I always do at this time, heading home from work. I got maybe a few dollars in my pocket. I walk by a woman in dirty clothes, torn boots, and lying on two garbage bags of her own stuff. I feel compassion as I lay my eyes on her, I want to help so I give her the little I have in my pocket and wish all is well.

That woman late that night, stands up and gets on the train. She heads two boroughs over and throws the garbage bags out, which was filled with shredded newspapers. She pulls out of her pocket keys and unlocks her car door. Gets changed into normal clothes in her car and drives home to her small, one bedroom home. She probably got about 300 dollars that day with how believable and good of an actress she was.

Not all is as it seems. She lied making it seem as if she is homeless when she isn’t. She is no different than the people that people say christians are hypocrites. Those people are not christians, even though they claim they are.

“On-and-off salvation never appears in the Bible. Salvation is not a repeated phenomenon. Scripture contains no example of a person who was saved, then lost, then resaved, then lost again.”

Once a person has their salvation they can’t lose it. A christian is a christian because of their faith and salvation. They don’t have different seasons of being a christian. They don’t say they are something they’re not, just like my dog doesn’t think she’s a cat.

Where there is no assurance of salvation, there is no peace. No peace means no joy. No joy results in fear-based lives. Is this the life God creates? No. Grace creates a confident soul.

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Trust God’s hold on you more than your hold on God. His faithfulness does not depend on yours. His performance is not predicated on yours. His love is not contingent on your own. Your candle may flicker, but it will not expire.

God has given you salvation so that you know where you are going, and that nothing shall get in the way of that. You live your life knowing where you’re going, but don’t worry. If you’re a person like me that loves surprises, you still will be awe-struck when you see his face and run into his arms in the most beautiful place, in Heaven. Heaven is guaranteed destination on your ride of life.

Chapter 12 “When Grace Happens”

Well this is it, the conclusion. This book was a great experience for me and I enjoyed it greatly. The final chapter speaks about the best thing of all, presents! We all love when we are given gifts, no matter if we are humble, overly-appreciative, or impatient. I love getting gifts. And that’s the reason I love Christmas.

But I love it because of the feeling of getting something, the feeling that someone thought of me, I could care less what the gift is just knowing that I mean something to them. Christmas in my childhood was not always extravagant or consistent every year, but when we celebrated it I was the happiest kid.

I was going through pictures with my mom over the past couple of days. A couple pictures that I adore so much are during Christmas. One was of me when I was six hugging my one year old brother Matthew so he wouldn’t cry on Santa’s lap. The other was me when I was nine opening a gift with the biggest smile and most surprised face while sitting next to my brother Ryan who was three then. The gift I opened was a pair of over-the-head headphones. I remembered that day, I was so happy and loved the feeling of love in my home that day.

“You have been given a perfect personal gift. One just for you. “There has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

“He himself is the treasure. Grace is precious because He is. Grace changes lives because He does. Grace secures us because He will. The gift is the Giver. To discover grace is to God’s utter devotion to you, his stubborn resolve to give you a cleansing, healing, purging love that lifts the wounded back to their feet. Does he stand high on a hill and bid you climb out of the valley? No. He bungees down and carries you out. Does he build a bridge and command you to cross it? No. He crosses the bridge and shoulders you over. “You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:8).”

It is God’s gift to us that Jesus died for our sins and gave us grace. It is God’s gift to us that He rose and gave us life to live eternally. It is God’s gift to us that we had that first breath of life and our free will given to us. Why? Because He loves us. I can only strive everyday to love like he does. He has given us so much, I just want to love like him. I want to love others the way he loves me. I want to share grace. Let that be my gift to all, for the rest of my life, let Joey be the grace-given giving grace. I am a trophy of his kindness and a partaker of his mission. Let you be too.