God Chose Me

"You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last." (John 15:16 NIV)In Jesus' story of the Vine and the Branches, I was struck anew by the above verse. God chose me and He chose me to go and bear fruit. When you live with a chronic illness, it sometimes seems that you are not able to do much that is very useful. Maybe your time seems to be spent just trying to get through another day of pain, or coping with a new set of symptoms. Maybe you are all too aware of the things you used to be able to do, but now are unable to do because of your health.It's depressing and I know, I feel at times that there isn't much worthwhile about my life. I don't seem to be able to accomplish what I want to do and sometimes all I see is the things I can't do, or can't do anymore.Here Jesus was saying to his disciples that He had chosen them to go and bear fruit. He was telling them that they could do things that would count for eternity – fruit that would last. Because of their relationship with Him and what Jesus had taught them, they were going to do really worthwhile things.God can use each one of us, no matter how little we think we can do. If God is able to take our little and multiply it for His purposes, we can be part of His greater plans. God doesn't see our lack of ability, He sees how we can be part of the bearing fruit – fruit that will last.God chose me, He sees and knows my limitations, yet He still gives me opportunity to do things that will count for eternity. Maybe I don't see how they will, but He does.Prayer: Father, help me not to lose sight of the value that you see in my life, and to be mindful of the opportunities you place before me. Thank you that you chose me. Amen. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Fiona Burrows lives in Melbourne, Australia and is grateful that God still has ways to use her, despite the chronic pain she has had for over 20 years.