I am Your beloved.....

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'To find the peace and productivity we desire, we need to come back to the basics of the first commandment.' - (Staying Focused in Uncertain Times, Elizabeth Grace Saunders-Real Life E Time Coaching, DivineTimeBook.com)

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. -Matthew 22:37

I was warned by my parents, by friends, and by others who have far more years of life experience ahead of me, that time moves faster as we get a little older.  2022 started off with a couple of  'unexpecteds' for my family.  And if I'm being honest, it has shaken my focus.  I wasn't always the most confident one in the room.  I'd say it wasn't until my 30's when I really started feeling comfortable in my own skin.  I would dare say nobody is born with full and complete confidence in themselves.  Life experiences shape that for the good and for the bad over time.  What the Lord gives and takes, it tests our focus.  It's human nature to interpret the movement of his hand in our lives or the seemingly lack thereof, as unwanted.  I'm certain there is a significant percentage of the Christian community who won't readily admit to that, and prefer to keep the overarching message to the world in the form of some sort of 'prosperity gospel'.  Nobody wants to expose their lack of faith, their season of doubt, their base struggle between humanity and spirituality for everyone to know.  When it comes down to it though, we all have this struggle on some level.  I'm strengthened and comforted today as I absorb the scripture in Matthew 22, and the beautiful lyric of this song, to hear Father God's sweet reminder to me of who I am:  

I am Your beloved

You have bought me with Your blood

And on Your hand

You've written out my name   

I am Your beloved

One the Father loves

Mercy has defeated all my shame

(-I Am Your Beloved, Jonathan David Helser and Melissa Helser)

I needed this reminder of His love, His mercy for me to drink in my parched and weary soul every single day.  I'm guessing as we head into February and try to make our way through the days ahead into this new year, you are probably in need of this filling as well.  I invite you to lay your 'unexpecteds' down and let yourself be clothed in His presence today and every single day.  The One who knows you best is the One who loves you most.

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