She’s world famous. Nobody expected her to be.
Susan Boyle was a 47-year-old, non-descript, unemployed charity worker living in a small village in Scotland when she appeared on Britain’s Got Talent. Both audience and judges were surprised by her amazing singing. As she later said in Britain’s, Sunday Times, “I know what they were thinking, but why should it matter as long as I can sing? It's not a beauty contest.”
Ms. Boyle became instantly world famous. After her April 1, 2009 debut, the YouTube video of her performance was viewed over 50 million times. She was soon featured on Larry King Live and the Today show, and has been mentioned by Oprah, Rosie, and other celebrities. She sang before the Queen of England, the pope, and at the White House.
Why is it that people found this somewhat ordinary woman so fascinating? Clearly she can sing, but so can others. Perhaps it’s because Ms. Boyles’ fame and success (she has sold over 25 million albums) represents what we all hope for: that plain, ordinary people like us might somehow matter – that some admirable talent or trait will be discovered hidden in us.
The good news is that our value has already been noticed. God already made it clear that, despite humble beginnings or homely features, each of us is a person of value and significance. We just have difficult believing that.
Yet, the Father modeled that for us in his own son. Jesus was born in a small town to a working-class family and was prophesied by Isaiah to be one who “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). But God changed the world through him and “exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).
To you and me, he makes the same promise – that we matter, that we can be stars. We are his “offspring,” made in his image. To all who believe, he offers “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12) And, “if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).
How awesome to be his child! What glory awaits a co-heir with the son of the Creator! A viral video on YouTube might be fun, but how much better to be applauded by God and to have your name written forever in his book of life!
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