To me, this is the most amazing thought that gives me hope during these days of continued caution and isolation. To think that I – Shirley – am the recipient of so much love. But we are…..we all are…..even in our darkest times. Please say to yourself: “I (your name) am the beloved of God. I (your name) am the beloved child of God. I (your name) am the beloved son or daughter of God.”
Hear what Henri Nouwen says to us, “Listening to that voice with great inner attentiveness, I hear at my center words that say: ‘I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine and I am yours. You are my beloved, on you my favor rests….I have carved you in the palms of my hands…..I look at you with infinite tenderness and care for you with a care more intimate than that of a mother for her child….Wherever you go, I go with you, and wherever you rest, I keep watch…You know me as your own as I know you as my own…Nothing will ever separate us. We are one.’”
And the more we feel our Belovedness, the more we want to dig to find deeper ways to experience this unconditional love.
During this month of Love, I would like to suggest a way to help us to be more attentive in our search. Each week find an object that defines Love in your life. This could be a photograph or a letter, or a book you might be reading, or a piece of jewelry, or something you picked up on your walk in nature. Or it could be a candle or a cross with special meaning, or a work of art. Find your special object and put it somewhere in plain sight. Gaze on the sacredness of this object. Feel God’s gaze looking back at you and saying, “You truly are my Beloved.”
Believe this thought! God loves YOU!
~ Pastor Shirley