Friend.

"The greatest gift my friendship can give you is the gift of your belovedness. I can give that gift only insofar as I have claimed it for myself. Isn't that what friendship is all about: giving to eachother the gift of our belovedness?" - henri nouwen.

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I find this quote to be incredibly true.

Because I have experienced in my own life the incredible gift of friends who do this.

Friends who remind me.

Friends who have reminded me, again and again, who God is.

When it seemed like He was far. When loneliness felt overwhelming. When my heart felt like it would bleed dry from hurt and confusion and fear.

These friends reminded me that God is good, gracious, and always NEAR.

They told me that I was

Chosen. Delighted in. Graced.

Beloved.

And then they prayed for me, that I would know it too.

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What an incredible gift to offer someone.

Truth. Perspective.

The gift of belovedness.

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LORD, help me to understand what it means to be YOUR BELOVED. Let me experience it all the way down to my core and let it wash over me, saturating my identity with Your love.

And, walking as your beloved,

I pray you help me be a friend

to all those people who have forgotten,

that they are Your Beloved too.

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