You Belong

Written By: Erin Richer

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16

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I tried to think of easy conversation to break the tension. She and I both were on the verge of retching. Will her name be on the list? Will she belong? Hannah had worked all summer on her volleyball skills. Two months ago, we had only slept in our brand-new, still-empty home two days before Hannah bravely accepted an emailed invitation to play volleyball with a slew of girls she didn’t know. My eyes grew wide when she agreed to go. That’s when I realized her love for volleyball ran deep. Week after week, she attended every open-gym at the high school, every camp available in the area, continuously surrounded by girls she barely knew, playing at gyms in which she didn’t “belong.” 

The results came out this morning. We were on our way to find out if the work paid off. The paper adhered to the window would tell us if Hannah had a place.

I nabbed the closest parking spot, flung the shifter into park, and burst out my door. Hannah matched my pace. We scanned the roster. It seemed like one hundred names were on there and I didn’t see it. Turns out you can’t scan for names and prepare your conciliatory response at the same time. It was right there at the top, yet we both found it last. 

She made it. 

We celebrated, we jumped, we smiled, I cried. 

All of the comms turned on… texting, calling, Instachatting; we informed our world. Eventually there was no one else to tell, but we were still riding silently in the car.

I cracked the electrified hush. “Is it going to feel different going to practice today?” She nodded. “Will it feel like you belong?” 

She smiled big and nodded her head. “Yes.”

I was so excited for her. It’s something she needs so badly right now. A place with girls. A place to belong.

We’re homeschooling, so there’s lots of time at home. It means everything to me that she has a place outside the house where she can figure out how girls do the things—friendship, competition, criticism, affirmation. Frankly, it’s equally terrifying and hopeful. I know how bad it can be. In many ways I’m still a girl… accepted by some, rejected by some, growing all the time.  

Often, when I have all of these feels, I step back and think, “God, what do you think of all this hullabaloo?” And this is what He said…

“I have a list. You’re on it.”

Here it’s all about the work—what we can prove, what we can achieve. But that’s not so in God’s kingdom. There, we are qualified by faith alone. Faith in the abundant love of God… that He would pay our way into the place of abundant life. We already belong. We are pre-qualified by Jesus. We don’t have to go check the window for our name, and wonder whether we had what it took; if we have faith that the work of the cross is enough, we’re on the roster. We can rest from performance and simply exercise our faith.

We can act knowing we belong.

Let’s show up to Church (practice) and know we belong. Not because of anything we did or will ever do, but because of what He did, is doing, and will do. 

• Did you know there’s a list in heaven? Revelation 3:5 says, “Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I'll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels.” (MSG) In Luke 10:20 Jesus says, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (ESV)

• Do you know that there’s a place where you always belong, if you simply enter through the gate? Jesus says in John 10:9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” (HCSB) That list is the book of life and everyone whose name is on it belongs.

• Did you know that someone has already done the work to get you on that list? John 3:16 tells us, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (HCSB)