overlooked

Growing up in Indiana, I’m pretty sure I was brainwashed into thinking that I had to like basketball.  I quickly realized that I was not built for basketball, but I really, like REALLY, wanted to be good at basketball.  I grew up when some would call the real G.O.A.T., Michael Jordan, still played. We had a basketball hoop in our driveway.  I played so many imaginary games where I took the last second shot and won the NBA championship.

My sixth grade year, I bravely signed up to tryout for basketball.  I remember stepping on the court with talented kids who were really good. They were more skilled, taller, faster and most of these kids had actually played basketball on a real basketball court not just in their driveways.  

The coaches evaluated everyone’s talent and ability during the next two days.  This was rough for me. I vividly remember walking out of the gym the first day realizing there’s no chance I’m making this team.  The next day, I remember looking at the cut list. Needless to say, I didn’t make the cut. I was cut the first time around. It was a long time until I even attempted to play basketball beyond my driveway.  

This was the beginning of a few long years of my middle school time that seemingly led to being overlooked time and time again.  Looking back during those ridiculously long and tedious years of 6th - 8th grade, it did help develop my maturity. I learned that I don’t control what happens to me, but I do control how I respond to life’s events.  

This reality isn’t fun, but it’s part of life.  We don’t really control anything. We do control how we respond.  Being overlooked happens to us all, not making the team, not getting the promotion, not getting the girl or not being chosen.  When “Life” happens to us, we can with choose to wallow in our sorrow or we can choose to react differently. We can choose to realize this amazing truth.  When others overlook us, God is watching. In fact, God is looking intently at us.

God has plans for us.  There is one Bible verse that followers of Jesus love to throw around. It’s  Jeremiah 29:11.  In this verse, God clearly tells the people of Israel that he has plans for them. God says that He plans to prosper them and give them a hope and a future.  Church goers love to throw this verse out when transitions happen such as when a pastor or other people leave the church. The context of this verse however gives us a completely different look at its meaning.  The people of Israel could have easily thought that others were overlooking them, including God. Take at look at this link for an overview of the backstory to this verse.  

When we are overlooked by others, even those who are supposed to be closest to us or even those people put here on this earth to provide, protect and care for us, God is still here looking at us.  God sees you and your life matters to God. You matter to God. Lean into Him and His ways. Don’t buy into the lie that our life’s circumstances somehow reflect God’s love for us. The author of the book of Jeremiah in the Bible predicted that the nation of Israel was going to go through some extremely rough days and they did.  The eye opening thing is that Jeremiah, this man that God loved, cared for and spoke with, experienced all those difficult days WITH the nation of Israel. Through all of the difficulty, God was still watching Jeremiah and every other person. God is still looking at you. He sees you.

Photo by Ryan Graybill on Unsplash