5 Days to Being Made Newናሙና

beloved // we are unconditionally loved by God

Friendship

I rummaged through the growing stack of unpaid bills on our kitchen counter. My husband’s paycheck from his temporary place of employment barely made ends meet after he lost his job.

Dinner simmered on the stove, remnants from the refrigerator improvised into soup. My baby let out a raspy cough and rested her feverish forehead against my cheek. I sighed and wet a washcloth with cold water. As I sang softly into her ear, my toddler dumped out a bucket of wooden blocks, sending them clattering across the floor. The baby startled and cried. I felt my own hot tears sting my eyes, but wiped them away when my preschooler stood in front of me, waving a paper. She proudly held up her drawing before dropping her crayon and turning to play with her sibling.

I heard a gentle knock at the door and pushed my hair out of my face in an attempt to look presentable. As I opened the door, a dear friend wrapped one arm around me while presenting a bag of groceries in the other.

Her smile was accentuated by the soft lines around her eyes. She listened lovingly, without a hint of judgment, as I unloaded my worries. Out of love, she entered the messy moment of my life and offered me a tender place to land.

Her authenticity brought the peace my heart was aching for. It would have been easier to hide behind a forced smile, to say that everything was fine. Easier to allow the tightness in my chest to remain concealed, every feeling heavily guarded by a wall of shame. I struggled with the desire to appear in control but the stronger desire to be accepted and loved in my difficult moment won out.

The gift of her friendship brought down all the barriers and permitted me to be real. Jesus showed up in the form of a friend with a bag full of groceries.

As we spoke, I was reminded of how much God loves us and how we are called to love others. Through my friend, I was reminded that in every hour of our day, Jesus invites us to rest in His arms, to share our burdens, and to step out of our hiding places into the light of His love.

Maybe you are like my friend, loving others in their time of need. Or maybe you are more like me, in need of the reminder that you are beloved, in need of an opportunity to be real without the looming shadow of inadequacy silencing you.

The fear that we are unlovable in our weakest moments can cause us to ignore the lump in our throat, to blink back the tears, and to constantly put on a brave face. Yet we do not have to disguise our heartaches. Jesus welcomes us like a tenderhearted friend, wiping our tears and our mess. Sometimes we cannot see His presence amid the struggles of everyday life.

But when we strain our eyes and open our hearts, His love unfolds before us through our friendships, others’ acts of mercy, our giving and sharing. Today’s scripture reminds us that Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34). Let us reflect on that calling to love as Christ loves.

This message should astound us because Christ laid down His life for us, showing us the type of love He desires us to have for each other: a sacrificial love that sees the person before us as beloved just as we are beloved. Jesus is calling us to step out in love.

Sister, I encourage you to simply show up. You lay your life down when you show up in the little, quiet moments. As beloved daughters, we are given the grace to keep showing up. Even when it is hard. Even when it is messy.

Show up for the friend who is hurting. Show up before the Lord and allow Him to reveal to you all the ways you are loved, and all the ways you can love others.

ponder

Think about the times you have felt unlovable. Have you experienced people being uncharitable and hurtful? Maybe your mistakes have put distance between you and those you love. Is your struggle to love yourself coloring how you think God sees you? This myth of being unlovable is inaccurate. Set it aside today.

prayer

Holy Spirit, flood me with Your love. Fill my heart and overflow it to be consoled and experience the gift of Your love. Thank You for loving me into existence and keeping me here. Amen.

action

Today, say to yourself, I am unconditionally loved by God.