How many of you as a kid, loved to play games?
One of my favorite games to play was “Duck, Duck, Goose.” If you are not familiar with the game, I will tell you it was one of my best childhood memories. The game was for three or more players to sit in a circle. We would usually play this game during gym, so it would be a large circle of 15-20 kids.
There would be one other player walking the circle of seated players, tapping them on the head while saying, “Duck, Duck, Duck,….” and so on until they finally decided on who would be tapped as the Goose.
Now once you decided who was going to be Goose, you then had to run as fast as you could away from them to the seat that they just vacated before they tagged you.
It may sound really strange to some, but it was life to us. WE LOVED THIS GAME!
Every now and again, you would have that kid who just was not into the whole running thing, and when they were tagged, they would not quickly jump up to run after the other person. The worst right?
They would just take their time standing up, and then they would walk slowly after allowing enough time for the other player to get to their seat, of course.
They either would do it to be funny or just to be a spoil sport, but either way it was frustrating for the rest of us, who enjoyed being chosen as the goose.
As adults, what happens when God chooses us to be the Goose, and we refuse to stand up when it is easier to sit it all out?
Hmmmm, 2020 is a year we all would rather sit out to be honest…
In the game Duck, Duck, Goose we would exclude that person from being chosen if they did not want to play. Do you want God to exclude you from your destiny because you would rather sit the hard parts out? Being chosen is a privilege that God can take away from us at any time.
I believe it is time for us to learn how to stand.
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” 2 Timothy 3:12
Since I am speaking on playing games, I ask you if you like being chosen to play on a team?
For instance, in the game of kickball, you have two captains and they choose the players to be on their teams. For the most part, the kids with the most talent get chosen first, and it then trickles down to whomever is still waiting to be chosen.
I have seen so many instances where a kid’s self- esteem is totally slaughtered because they were not chosen first, second, third, or fourth to be on a team. Believe it or not, I have been the last kid standing waiting to be chosen on many occasions.
But, again I stayed standing until I was chosen, no matter how long it took to get there. I felt like I was slowly dying inside while I was waiting, but then had a boost of confidence when my name was called (even if there were no other choices).
How did or do you feel when your name is not called?
“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” James 5:11
As an adult, I find it hard at times to reconcile my feelings of standing up in situations compared to just sitting them out. I know many times I will be confronted with an obstacle and my first thought is to turn tail and run.
Especially when it involves other people and other agendas. Even though it has been a long time since I was a kid, those feelings of hurt still surface.
We all want to be chosen for that promotion, raise, to be healed from an illness or disease, to buy that home you have been renting, to finally get that car you have been saving up for, to have that baby you had been praying for, to get that retirement package you worked twenty years or more to get, or to have your child get a scholarship to attend a major University.
We all play that game of Duck, Duck, Goose and the only difference is, is that we are playing for our lives.
God continues to circle all of us, waiting for the right time to tag you and say Goose…. but are we ready to stand up when it’s much easier to sit life out?
“Said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.” Acts 14:10
Now, I realize to stand up for God and surrendering yourself to His will, is not simple nor is it easy. I think those games as we played as kids would not have many adult participants at all.
Who wants to run, when you can sit and watch?
And just like kids, we do get stuck in wanting to go our own way and do our own thing. But you have understand that God still will come around and choose you as His goose.
Regardless of where you are in your faith and if you are unsure of how to stand for Him, He will continue to choose you.
We will all be faced with a choice to do the right thing or to do the wrong thing. I will not say choosing to stand will not come with its own share of heartache and pain, but the outcome of that choice will always lead you on the chosen path to your destiny.
Don’t you want to find out why you were chosen in the first place?
Lastly, I just want to leave you with a bible verse that always speaks to me, when I feel like sitting things out instead of standing up when things get hard.
God did not create us to be weak, so choose today to start getting ready to be chosen as His goose instead of ducking out on your purpose.
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10
Remember in spite of the 2020 hardships, you still got this!
Sincerely,
Terryn
MODERN FAITHERELLA 