“And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
Yesterday–Sunday, February 14, 2021–happened to be both Valentine’s Day and Transfiguration Sunday, both of which celebrate belovedness.
In honor of that, I am taking the liberty of sharing something I wrote in 2002, as I was leaving my position as the youth pastor of The United Church of Los Alamos, in order to stay home with my soon-to-be-born baby girl.
I had asked myself the question: “If the youth group hasn’t learned anything else in my time with them, what do I hope will stay with them?” This was the answer. I hoped something in it would speak to the kids then; perhaps something in it will also speak to you today.
Please enjoy this “Love Letter From God”…
To my Beloved Child…
That is, indeed, a good place to start—
by reminding you that you are my Beloved.
You are a beloved child of mine. You.
Do you know that?
Do you know how much I love you?
Do you really, really know, deep in your soul,
how much I, God, the Creator of the Universe,
love YOU?
And do you know that the reason I love you
is NOT that you are a good person?
Although you are.
Nor is it that you are a kind person.
Although you are that, too.
The reason I love you is not all the good you do
(and I know even better than you how much good
you have done, and how far-reaching its effects),
nor is it all the smiles you share,
nor all the times you’ve reached out
to help someone in need–
whether someone in your family, a friend,
or even a stranger.
No, it is not for any of those reasons that I love you….
Oh, beloved child of mine, I love you so much!
If only you knew how much….
And do you know, and truly believe, that I love you
even though I know your secrets?
I know the things that you’re afraid of….
I still love you.
I know the things that you’re ashamed of….
I love you anyway.
I know the things that you wish you’d never done….
I still love you.
I know the things that you wish you’d done differently….
I love you anyway.
I know your doubts…your judgments…your fears…your failures…
…and yet, I love you.
None of those things, nor anything else,
could ever keep me from loving you….
I love you, my dear child, because I created you.
I love you, precious one, because there is no one else like you….
No one else.
I love you, Beloved, simply because you exist–
because that is what Love does
and Love is who I am.
I love you, now and forever and always,
and there is nothing you can do to change that.
There is nothing you can do to make me love you any more,
and there is nothing you can do to make me love you any less.
I.love.you.
Deeply.
Totally.
Passionately.
Unconditionally.
Forever.
Please, my dear child, let me love you….
God”
Peace, deep in our souls, be with us all
as we claim ever-so-slightly more fully,
our belovedness.
Deb