from a friend

[year2027]

Shattered!

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman

So this last week has been as trying as any time in my life. As I blogged earlier in the week, I had some trouble with tremors and seizures, which have since resided. The week before I worked almost every day cleaning other people's houses and I think it kicked off some of those health issues.

Instead of getting better though, our week got worst. It brought challenges we never expected to face. I know I can truly testify to God faithfulness and how he watches over us every minute of every day.

Every person that I talked with this week could tell me a story of something crazy going on in their lives. Things they never expected to happen or decisions they never expected to have to make. It definitely makes you realize that you have to be on your game and pray for protection over your family and friends constantly.

In the last few weeks I have been reading Henri J.M. Nouwen's book, "Life of the Beloved" Honestly, it is rocking my world. It covers some very simple truths or so you would think. It should be a simple truth but honestly for me, and for that matter most people, it is not. In this book, Nouwen sets out to help us understand one thing. You are loved. Not only are you loved, but you are God's Beloved.

Beloved: It means a person who is greatly loved; dear to the heart. That you are someone that matters most. Most of us either walk around not knowing or just don't believe that we could be His Beloved. I wonder what would happen if we would walk around in the freedom of knowing that the God of the universe calls us His Beloved.

Long before any human being saw us, we are seen by God's loving eyes. Long before anyone heard us cry or laugh, we are heard by God who is all ears for us. Long before any person spoke to us in this world, we are spoken to by the voice of eternal love. This is the the truth of our lives. Do we believe it? What would happen if we did believe it and acted on this truth? I wonder if we started really grasping this truth in the core of our being, how would things be different?

From the moment we claim the truth of being the beloved, we are faced with the call to become WHO WE ARE. When we know we are the Beloved we can let go of fear because perfect love casts out fear(1John 4:18). We can be who we're created to be. We can walk confidently and laugh at the uncertainty of the future. We don't have to look to other people for affirmation because we are loved by the only One who is constant. We can see others for who they are despite themselves-the Beloved. There's a shift that happens within us. We are set free. Free from striving to earn peoples affection. Free from all the lies and deception that plague us. Free from self-rejection. Just one word from us could shatter a thousand lies-Beloved!

Knowing the truth that we are the Beloved should become embedded in everything we say, do or think. We should be be able to let go of the doubt and insecurity that holds us down. But, does this happen? Do we hold this truth to be true? God wants us to know it and believe it. What do we believe? We usually believe the lie that Satan tries to tell us. We are hurt and we hurt and so we usually walk around with our head down believing the lie. We become o.k. with other people speaking that lie in our hearts and minds and before it is over with our butts are dragging the ground. Then we start speaking that lie into other peoples hearts and minds too. We can't help it, we are just putting on them what we believe about ourselves.

When we moved to Miami we prayed that God would give us his heart for each person we meet. What I am learning this week, is that in order to see people as God sees them, I have to first see myself as God's sees me. HIS BELOVED!