The Coach Who Called Her Name Before Tryouts

In 2019, a high school volleyball coach in Cedar Rapids, Iowa named Dana Sexton showed up at a middle school tournament she had no reason to attend. She wasn't scouting. Her roster was full. But something pulled her into that gymnasium on a Saturday morning.

She watched a lanky eighth-grader named Marissa Caldwell dive for a ball everyone else had given up on. After the match, Coach Sexton walked up and said, "I've been waiting to meet you. I saw how you play when nobody's watching."

Marissa's mother was stunned. They hadn't applied to that school. They lived outside the district. "How do you even know my daughter?" she asked.

Coach Sexton just smiled. "I've had my eye on her longer than you think."

Marissa transferred that fall. Four years later, she was named all-state.

When Nathanael sat under that fig tree, he thought he was alone. Maybe he was praying. Maybe wrestling with doubt. Maybe just resting in the shade, unseen by anyone who mattered. Then Jesus said, "Before Philip called you, I saw you."

Not after the introduction. Not once Nathanael proved himself. Before.

The Almighty does not wait for your audition. He is not reviewing your resume. He saw you in your most private, unguarded moment and said, "That one. I'm calling that one."

You were known before you were found.