"But you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare
the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
1 Peter 2:9
What does it mean to live as 'one who is chosen'? For
followers for Jesus it means making a daily choice to remember who you are
and who you aren't. The feeling of being chosen by anyone is exhilarating.
Whether it's the junior high dance, the soccer team, the ivy-league school,
or first love, being chosen offers validity and acceptance. When the concept
of, 'who I am' is not only good enough but worth someone's attention. God
has felt this way about us from before there was time, but that idea seems
to get lost in the voices in our heads, the teasing remarks and heart break
of circumstance.
Finally, Chosen Hope is an organization that
exists to not only bring hope to children but more importantly, to remind
them that hope is a choice we all must make. How can a child choose hope
when they are surrounded by poverty, loss and despair? In a daily life that
those of us in prosperous nations cannot begin to imagine, the idea that
someone elsewhere in the world cared enough to think and act on their behalf
is potentially life-changing.
What difference could a school uniform make?
How
would a child's life be changed by new jeans and sneakers?
To open a box
filled with sheets, towels, toothbrushes, books and toys is to be reminded
of hope.
Officially organized
in 2004, Chosen Hope was born in our hearts many years ago as students at
Hope College in Holland, MI. It was an idea that came from passion to use
who we were created to be and change the world. According to Bible teacher,
Beth Moore, "God hasn't appointed you to mediocrity but to a life of
profound harvest." Believing this, we set out to find a way to reach
children around the world that seemed to be forgotten. Orphaned by AIDS,
circumstance or sheer abandonment, children in developing nations were not
created for a life of hopelessness. Knowing that the resources of our
community could make a difference, we formed Chosen Hope in order to restore
faith, allow others to give, and in the end, give a child a reason to smile.
