“First of all, you have to keep unmasking the world about you for what it is: manipulative, controlling, power-hungry, and, in the long run, destructive. The world tells you many lies about who you are, and you simply have to be realistic enough to remind yourself of this. Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: ‘These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God’s eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting belief.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World
For most of my life, I worried if God really loved me. I mean, yeah, the Bible says, “He is Love” and there was that whole Jesus dying on the cross for us event, but deep down inside I didn’t really, truly believe God loved me. On my best days, I believe he tolerated me. During this time, I started reading Henri Nouwen’s thoughts on Belovedness and slowly God is showing me that part of my practice of Shalom is owning my belovedness. This practice looks like offering myself grace, remembering the times God’s been faithful to me, and occasionally having a really good cry.
Maybe you’re where I was.
If so, here’s my favorite posts on Shalom in my Relationship because my dear…
YOU ARE BELOVED!
“Before You Get Off This Bathroom Floor”
“Crazy Jesus! Weren’t You Afraid?”
<3 and Shalom… Sistas,
Osheta
Comments (0)