In one of my latest book pile purchases I found myself drawn to a nonfiction Christian book entitled Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen. It was a small, used theology book, with no dust cover but my sister, Jamie Holloway, often shares quotes by this wise man and I thought he would make a particularly something day feel something and he did. For the last month or so, the nerves in my face have been having a party and that is no fun for me. It makes speaking, eating, drinking and even sleeping terrible. This beautiful faith book was a reminder of what I know my Creator thinks of me and it helped me stay focused and creative because that is how you find any joy in a hard time.
Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved expresses the core truth of our existence.
Any other voices we might hear proves that you are worth something or that you must do something to be relevant, spectacular or powerful and then you will earn the love you desire. But by being the Beloved, you just are.
When love chooses, it chooses with a perfect sensitivity for the unique beauty of the chosen one, and it chooses without making anyone else feel excluded.
God, is the only one that can choose perfectly. Or whatever you call the Creator.
When the world does not choose us, we have to dare to know the truth that God did. Everyone else in the world has their own agenda or need to control, their own feelings of self-doubt, low self-esteem or insecurities, fears, depression or any other thing that might cause them to pull you down with them but the greatest spiritual battle, that never ends, is with us knowing and holding our Belovedness.
I am not an accident. I am a divine choice.
A blessing touches the original goodness of the other and calls forth their Belovedness. Blessings are all around us and if we are too busy, we miss them. Prayer and presence help us to become more perceptive. Not claiming blessings will lead to the land of the cursed. You have to choose how you want to live. When you are aware of your blessings you will want to call out the blessings you see in yourself and others.
No one is brought to life through curses, gossip, accusations or blaming.
We must befriend our brokenness, which seems unnatural and masochistic. But brokenness is an intimate part of our being. Just as a our chosenness is. When you are not afraid, you can face anything and eventually you might have peace and even joy where fear and anxiety once were.
If you only curse your brokenness, that is what you will have. But if you put it under the blessedness of being the Beloved, as you are, it can become a gift. Our lives find their fulfillment in giving ourselves to each other.
I think that is our deepest human desire is to give ourselves to each other as a source of physical, emotional and spiritual growth.
This is a very special book. I have been on this journey for that last 12 years. Maybe longer. When I stopped fighting the direction I was supposed to go, whether I call it, religion or spirituality, I learned to listen more, and to ask more questions; to know that I don’t know everything, but know that what I do know is important but not more important than the human I am looking at, I began to understand my Belovedness. The term stopped making me scared.
I think this book says what I have learned and a little more, very well.
This book is from my own personal collection. You can get your own copy of Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen on Amazon.com.
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri J.M. Nouwen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen is a wonderful little book that talks about how we are chosen by our Creator to be Beloved. How this chosenness can help us to choose a life of blessing for ourself and for others. How we can choose to speak and live well and call out the good for each other and find peace and joy instead of fear and anxiety. In this short book of letters to a friend, Nouwen, shares his heart and how to love.
~
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
~
1
20
20
20
Please wait...
