From Running Away to Walking in Purpose.

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There was a time when I didn’t fully understand what it meant to be chosen by God.

I thought being chosen meant perfection. I thought it required having everything together, knowing all the right words, and living a life untouched by pain or mistakes.

But what I’ve come to learn is this: God doesn’t choose us because we are perfect. He chooses us because He is.

“Lord, pour into me like never before, so that I may pour into others.”

That prayer didn’t come from a place of strength—it came from a place of surrender.

There are people who need encouragement, who need hope, who need to hear about the goodness of God, and I’ve realized that my life—every high, every low, every broken piece—is part of the message He wants me to share.

God has done mighty things in my life, and I can no longer keep them to myself.

For many years, I walked in darkness. I lived in sin, made choices rooted in pain, and carried wounds I didn’t believe could ever heal.

Yet even in those moments, God never gave up on me.

He kept tugging on my heart.

He sent people—messengers—to reach me, to speak life into me, to remind me that there was more, but I wasn’t ready. I kept running.

Because surrender is hard.

Following God meant letting go of the world I knew. It meant releasing habits, mindsets, and ways of living that felt familiar—even if they were harmful.

And I was afraid… afraid that choosing Him meant I would miss out.

But what I didn’t realize then is what I know now:

I wasn’t missing out—I was being called up.

Even in my resistance, God was patient.

He protected me when I didn’t protect myself.

He covered me when I made decisions that could have destroyed me.

No matter how far I ran, He never let go.

He already knew the plans He had for me—and what it would take to get me there.

I was a rebellious child, and that rebellion followed me into adulthood, but beneath that rebellion was pain—deep, unspoken pain that I didn’t think anyone could heal.

Not even God.

I knew of Him, but I didn’t know Him.

And in my hurt, I blamed Him.

I questioned where He was during the hardest moments of my life—especially in my childhood. I believed He was supposed to protect me, yet I couldn’t see Him when I needed Him most.

So I convinced myself I was

alone, that I had to fight for

myself, that I had to survive on my own.

But the truth is… I was never alone.

God was watching over me the entire time.

Every moment I endured—every tear, every trial, every setback—was not wasted. It was all leading me to this moment:

A moment where I can encourage others.

A moment where I can testify of His goodness.

A moment where I can boldly say: God saves.

Because He saved me.

He pulled me from a life that was leading me toward eternal separation from Him and gave me purpose, identity, and peace.

Saying yes to God wasn’t easy.

There are still struggles. There are still days of stretching, growing, and learning how to fully trust Him, but even in that, I know this is where I belong.

Not because I’m perfect.

Not because I earned it.

But because He chose me—

Long before I ever chose Him.

Closing Reflection

If you’ve ever felt like you’ve run too far, made too many mistakes, or carried too much pain to be used by God—this is your reminder:

He hasn’t changed His mind about you.

You are still chosen.