My Name is Beloved & Yours is, too
You should know that. You know that when you were born in the world, your parents thought you were…special. That there was no one else like you in the world. That many of their hopes and dreams for themselves would come to realization through you.
There are a few people born in the world who do not experience that welcoming love upon their birth. And it is up to the rest of us to tell those people over and over and over that they are beloved, too.
When I was born, my brother named me Amy. And various people over the years have given me little trinkets and things that describe the meaning of my name–Beloved.
At the end of a hard day, I can remember that I am Amy, beloved.
But what about all day every day? Henri Nouwen takes this idea of being beloved even further. He says that we are beloved by God and we need to become beloved (take hold of our identity as beloved). We are “taken,” “blessed,” “broken,” and “given.”
Nouwen on “taken”:
I am seen as special person.
Others are included not excluded.
Then, an exercise we used in Liturgy @ New Leaf yesterday:
Centering Prayer
Repeat this prayer or any other prayer you feel comfortable with.
“Long before any human being saw, we were seen by God’s loving eyes.”