The reading today gives me the glorious reminder that I am God’s beloved child.
Nouwen reminds me what that can mean. His love can change me. His love can free me from fear and self-centeredness and give me delight in serving God and his other children.
I know that I can’t begin to comprehend His love and His will for me. My experience is that at times I am inexplicably viscerally aware of His love, and am able to respond appropriately. This can only be the Holy Spirit helping me to experience what I can’t begin to comprehend and appreciate.
I want to move through life knowing my loving God has provided a way for everything to be alright for eternity. I want to serve with joyous, fearless obedience. I know I can’t without His help. So, I turn to God as His beloved helpless child and ask for the awareness of the Holy Spirit in me.
Dependably, it is when I am making an “effort” to serve others that he blesses me with the freedom from self I so desire. and the joy of His service that I should have had all along.
I love the line “I want to move through life knowing my loving God has provided a way for everything to be alright for eternity.”
This week in EFM we looked at the Outline of our Faith in the Book of Common Prayer (p.845). The one that stood out to me was the very last one on page 862:
Q. What, then, is our assurance as Christians?
A. Our assurance as Christians is that nothing, not even death, shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
I believe this is how I know everything will be alright for eternity.
Thank you Adair, and thank you for being such a great year 3 partner.