I’ll Never Forget What My Ex-Girlfriend Told Me (w/ Fr. Mike Schmitz)
2/19/20268 min
When someone gets chosen instead of you, how should you respond?
Fr. Mike Schmitz reminds us that God has a unique plan for each and every one of us. When others are blessed by being chosen, there is often a hidden burden that comes with it. We tend to see the blessing, but we forget the weight that accompanies it.
Instead of giving in to jealousy or self-pity, remember this: everyone has their own story. If God didn’t choose you for what you were hoping for, it’s not because you were overlooked, it’s because He has something different, and perhaps even better, in store for you.
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMike Schmitz· Host0:00
I remember saying, I'm so sorry. I think I need to go to seminary next year. Her first words were this. Her first words were, Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and this is Ascension Presents. So you know how, uh, when you're growing up, uh, you, you have to choose teams, kickball, dodgeball, softball, basketball, all the balls, and you line up, and they have two captains, and okay, who's the one who gets picked? Who's the one who gets picked last? Whenever we see an example of someone getting picked, there can be this wound in us. I was thinking about the, the story of, of David. So, so if you remember the story of David, I think it's 1 Samuel chapter sixteen, where, um, Samuel is sent by God to Jesse. Jesse has a bunch of sons. Jesse's a friend. He's been a good friend of mine. Good friend of mine. A bunch of sons, and God tells Samuel that one of Jesse's sons is gonna be the next king of Israel to replace Saul. And so if you know the story, Samuel shows up, and they all come out trembling like, "What do you want? What do you want from us?" And, and Jesse brings out his sons. He sees Eliab. Eliab's the oldest, and he looks like a king. And, uh, the Lord says to Samuel, "Nope, that's not him. Not him." Uh, the next son, I think Abinadab. Abinadab, not him. Next son, all the next seven sons. Finally, David, and he gets chosen. When you hear that story, who do you identify with? Or even like when it comes to the apostles, right? Here's Jesus, who goes up on the high mountain to pray all night. The next morning, he comes down, and he chooses from the disciples, he chooses twelve apostles to be with him, to be sent out by him. And [chuckles] I always ask the-- I always think of this question, who do you identify with in that story?