Come & BE LOVED

 

The life-giving things of my Sabbath this past month have been in review.  Partly because I am part of a Church community now that celebrates and encourages it (What a gift, hallelujah!) and partly because it has been resisted and so hard to cultivate in this season.  I find myself often giving in to this "performance driven" go-go-go culture.
However,  one of the things God brought to mind where I just enjoy God is listening to an audiobook.  After feeling the "yuck" of 'selling myself ' on rental applications, emails and job applications I felt it was time to remind my soul of its loveliness to God because when the struggle of your life seems to be with wrestling with rejection--it is good to cultivate that secret place of knowing you are LOVED. NO 'no' can take that away from you.  Without sharing too much of all that I have been sitting in, I was lead to the book Return of the Prodigal Son. Oh man, it was for me.  It is based on the principle and story of  the Luke 15  parable and an encounter the author had with Rembrant's painting. 

I think the most powerful chapters for me were on the elder son and the last ones regarding "Becoming the Father". JUST PLEASE GO READ IT and know your belovedness as a son, daughter, mother, father, sister, brother and be close to the heart of God...

Here's one of my favorite quotes:

"As the beloved of my heavenly Father, “I can walk in the valley of darkness: no evil would I fear.” As the beloved I can “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils.” Having “received without charge,” I can “give without charge.” As the Beloved, I can confront, console, admonish, and encourage without fear of rejection or need for affirmation. As the Beloved I can suffer persecution without desire for revenge and receive praise without using it as a proof of my goodness. As the Beloved I can be tortured and killed without ever having to doubt that the love that is given to me is stronger than death. As the Beloved I am free to live and give life, free also to die while giving life."



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