The sky was still dark when Jesus climbed the hillside. The air, thin and cool, carried the kind of silence you only find in the wilderness before dawn. He went alone, past the clusters of sleeping bodies and dusty sandals, until even the whisper of the wind seemed to hush in reverence. There, He knelt. Not for a moment. Not for an hour. But all night. Alone with the Father. Twelve names on His heart. Twelve lives about to change forever.

The Story

By the time the sun rose over Galilee, Jesus had made His decision. He descended the mountain and called them one by one. Simon, whom He named Peter, impulsive and passionate. James and John, fiery brothers with big hearts and short fuses. Andrew, always bringing others closer. Matthew, the tax collector who traded a ledger for a life of following. Thomas, who questioned deeply. Judas, even Judas.

Can you imagine it? The look in their eyes when He called their names? The sound of His voice as He said, “Come with Me.” Not as a crowd, not as a mass of people, but by name. Personal. Intimate. And not because they had proven themselves. They hadn’t. They wouldn’t. And yet, they were chosen.

I think about the lists I’ve made in my own life: grocery lists, class rosters, to-do lists scribbled on sticky notes. Names and tasks and deadlines. But this list? This list changed the world. These twelve names became the bones of the Church, the foundation of the gospel’s spread across the globe. Not because they were perfect. But because they were called.

Reflection and Connection

What strikes me most is that Jesus spent the entire night in prayer. Before He picked a single name. Before a single “yes” was offered. He waited. He listened. He discerned. And I wonder how many times I rush into decisions with a quick prayer or a gut feeling, calling it faith. I wonder what it might look like to actually wait. To sit in the quiet. To listen for more than a moment.

And I think about how often we disqualify ourselves before anyone else can. We assume we’re not ready, not spiritual enough, not the kind of person God would choose. But here is the truth of the twelve: Jesus didn’t pick the polished or the predictable. He picked the willing. And sometimes even the wavering.

The Bigger Picture

The story of the twelve reminds me that I do not have to be spectacular to be chosen. I just have to be willing. Willing to walk, to follow, to grow alongside others. Willing to be transformed along the way. And willing to say yes, even when I feel unworthy.

Maybe today, that is enough for me and for you to believe that grace chooses us before we have it all figured out. That our names are already known. And that sometimes the most sacred thing we can do is simply respond when we are called.

So here’s to the small starts, the quiet prayers, and the long nights of listening. Here’s to the moments when we feel seen and called by name. And here’s to walking down the hill, into whatever comes next, with trembling hope and wholehearted yes.

Gracefully yours,

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