Week 6 Day 7: Beloved
Question: What is it about you that God delights in?
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Transcript of Video:
I think what is so central to our identity as Christians is the fact that we know that we are loved by God, and that our chief identity, our main identity, is that we are beloved children of God. And I think this is crucial to our sense of who we are in the world: that our identity does not depend on external things and people’s approval or on degrees or status or success or possessions or wealth, but our identity is found within. It’s the fact that we are known and loved by God. So our chief identity is as of a beloved child of God.
And I think this makes all the difference for us, because when we have that as the core of our identity, then we’re free to be free in the world, not to have to impress or please or do anything else to earn our identity. We have this secure identity that can never be taken away from us. And as the first letter of John says, “We love because He first loved us.” And I think we become people of love once we know that we have been loved. We become able to forgive once we’ve experienced being forgiven ourselves. We become able to bear with other people when they realize that God has been lovingly patient towards us. So I think it’s crucial to our identity.
Second part of that phrase, “We love because God first loved us.” That second part is the work of prayer. And we need to give ourselves some time and space to take in this love, day by day, and to know ourselves to be loved and to reaffirm that part of our identity. To really make it the core of who we are and allow it to shape how we function in the world.
So how we do that? We do it in prayer. I once said to a group that I was working with in retreat that, “You’ve made so many sacrifices on behalf of the Gospel, but have you ever allowed God to express God’s appreciation to you? Have you ever received God’s thanks for the sacrifices you’ve made?” And for many of us, that’s a strange idea, but to open ourselves to the love that God wants to give to us and wants to affirm in us, day by day, I think is very crucial.
-Br. David Vryhof
That I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior!
I think that we have come to the end of this series and am very grateful for the opportunity to participate, the inspirational videos (each with it’s own personality), the sharing of comments, the introspection that it provoked and the affirmation it provided. I think that above all, I gained confidence in my approach to spirituality and learned anew how to pray in a very meaningful way. To the creators of the series – thank you. I think that God delights in your ability to teach and inspire.
The concept is that we are all born with an essential identity, loved by God. When I was little my Mother recited the Monday’s Child nursery rhyme to me and I was and still love that I am “Tuesday’s child” and “full of grace” and so, I think that the concept was provided to me very early. I think that I need to work to provide that delight, in return, to God and hope that it will be that I reach out with love at times when those who do not feel or have that reassurance and stability need it. I am inspired by my life partner’s consistent availability to embrace and inspire, to lift up, the next person, and the next, who come to him seeking this reassurance, particularly through his work within communities, with students, others. He has an endless ability to welcome in and to give and uses it best with those who need it most. I do this in a less formal way, and think that in almost every day I come upon a person who wants to be touched through “serendipity”, close observation and the desire to stop to speak to people that I do not know. If I can walk though life extending my love and listening, I will be more worthy of God’s delight.
I try to find the joy, the smile, the humor, in every situation.
That I keep trying!!! Trying to find him in others and in myself.
God delights in the fact that He made me, and that I love Him.
I believe that God delights in things I do. I know he is always with me and he appreciates a sense of humor, he must get pleasure from the acts of giving, and I try to walk the talk. God is good.
Love the series, thanks.
Br. David’s words are wonderful. While I know them to be true, living them needs constant reminder, prayer time as he said. God has got to delight in my “hanging in there.” I’ve been ill again and here it is, about two weeks later than it should be for me to consider this question. But I feel rich with the talks and questions waiting for me. Life is good. God is good.
I have no idea what about me God delights in. I can speculate, but I somehow sense that that is somewhat presumptive on my part to think I can figure out what God delights in. While reading people’s responses I could see a lot of things that I hope God delights in about me, such as humor and persistence, as well as giving, but somehow I feel uneasy to speak with certainty about what God delights in.
My easy going nature … to be able to be with people and love and enjoy them no matter how different.
…one day after great giving God sat up in a hospital bed and looked at me (with a left eye rolled back into the eye socket) and told me that I was Gods’ beloved and waved goodbye…when death is occurring people aren’t usually lying…didn’t really care at the time about being the beloved but about a year later…and now…understand.
I think God delights in the ways I am still very much like a little girl, prone to kicking the dirt in frustration when things don’t go my way, but also able to make great leaps into love and being fearless in that love as only a child can be.
I think that I need to be concentrating on how God delights in other people, rather than the ways He delights in me. I am far to inward. I need to look out and see others, and delight in them, just as God does.
My desire to love and continue to grow…my hope that I am good enough as is….
Sometimes I wonder what God sees in me. But I think what God see in me is a little bit of God’s own self, because that’s what everyone is given. I love to create beautiful things in fabric, and when some felicitous combination of color, shape, and texture occurs, I feel my own delight in concert with God’s. Sometimes I just have to dance with joy, and I imagine God doing the same thing.
That I delight I Him
My ability to pressed on in overwhelming odds without giving up the faith.
I think God delights in when I can be there for others. When I can speak up against unfairness. When I can exercise and enjoy the energy. When I am making love with a person I care about.
I believe I have been given the gift of “joy and wonder in all (God’s) works” and I am hopeful that God delights in my effort to cultivate that gift. I certainly feel loved whenever I get that feeling of “joy and wonder,” and if I am paying attention, I realize that I feel it quite often.
He delights in my compassion for others and how really silly I can be at times.
I believe God delights in my sense of humor and play, in the ways that I notice others when they’re not having a good day, in the listening that I do and in the fierce sense of faithfulness I have to the things and people I believe in.
He delights in me being who I am. He has been pressing, shaping me as a potter does. He has listened to my prayers to be a light in the world. My love for his Son Lord Jesus Christ and my reading the word daily and praying that he accomplishes his will in my life and that the Holy Spirit resides in me will confirm my heart in the truth of scripture.
What does God delight in with me? Bringing peace & joy to others through humour, encouragement, trust & sensitivity – being transparent, open, vulnerable – I’m amazed how many people say to me ‘I haven’t told anybody else this, but…..’ & how do we feel once we speak our darkest moments to those we trust – the darkness is brought into the light & dissipates into nothingness, resolution, peace. I love to serve God in this way – I count it a privilege & I sense His love & peace within me.
Thank you for articulating that for which I had no words!
I think this is the key to everything in & with God
(& life). It is miraculous, transformational, underpins the Gospel (The Passion & sending of the Holy Spirit) & I think, I sense & feel I am only aware to a certain level of God’s love for me, but it’s growing – I sense I’m close to a break through. You’re right – it’s through prayer, being still – learning to be still, but I also find it to be in everything I do in seeking God – I find it hard, but once I have a taste, I tend not to give up until I find the answer for me… There are just so many distractions it’s unbelievable. But it’s exactly what I’m looking for – that deep thorough sense of God’s love – nothing else matters after that…. everything will just slide into place. Total peace. Total freedom to serve.
My smile.
Now that I’m in the second half of my life, I find it much easier to realize that God/ Holy Spirit is with me, leading me and constantly loving me. I still have trouble with my ego but it is getting better and easier to let go of my ego and let god lead me. I am a chaplain in the respite area in a 86 bed for homeless men. I’m there three time a week and will meet with men who request to meet and talk.
Thanks David, recently, while on my walks, I began having thoughts like: 1) Does Jesus worry about us? 2) Feeling assured that God will reward my patience/faith/hope about particular situations. But your wording makes the latter more vivid and alive. Thank you.
Hopefully, my sense of humor. Otherwise, I may be in big trouble!
I suspect that it my optimism and my perseverance that God appreciates in me. They both help me with active listening.
This series has given me a stimulating Lent that I honestly never thought I might experience. It is a special treat to hear what all of the contributing Brothers have given us in homily and to view your wonderful, sincere, composing facial expressions as you spoke. The intimacy we’ve received from you all has been another special gift, day after day, surprising topic after topic, always after calling us to chapel with your beautiful bells. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I agree with Nancy — I have never considered how God might delight in me. Off the top of my head, I guess I would say he delights in the very things that make me different since he created me with those specific traits to fulfill my place in his plan.
I loved today’s message. The insight that you need to feel yourself to be loved in order to love others, and that we all have that available to us, because we are each loved by God is a rich one. I will spend some time today focussed on this and sending God’s love for me.
I think God takes delight in my sense of humor, my appreciation of all of the natural beauty around me, and my appreciation of classical music. I also think God takes delight in my love of cooking and baking. It’s awesome the way one set of ingredients can be transformed into something completely different. I love the sense of co-creating with God as I cook or bake. And I think God is delighting in my participation in the scripture discussion group at my church. This is something new for me and I am learning so much!!
I think God delights in me how much I give. I give even when I don’t have the means and its maybe not financially responsible for me to do so (something I usually don’t care to look at until after I’ve given). Sometimes it’s money to a cause, but usually it’s giving my time to someone or giving them something to nourish them. I love feeding people, brining people the medicine they need, sharing drinks with people. Giving comes naturally to me, but I also know that with this gift God has given me I have to maintain boundaries to protect myself from burn out or financial ruin.
I think God loves my dependability and that is why I am often called on by family, friends and colleagues. I have never thought that I’ve made sacrifices for God . I I try to do what is right and follow my heart and Jesus’s teachings of loving God and neighbours .
My desire to love and please God. It has been true for me this week that I need to be still and remember how much God loves me, when I am drained.
I think God created me to love me and that I have to learn to accept God’s love (and God’s thanks!)
I pray that God delights in my efforts to bring beautiful music to our worship services, and to the world in general. I am a music-educator by trade. Now being retired I do more singing and preparing for our Senior Choir at Church. I also play in a concert band, in which I hope others take delight.
I hope God notices that I try everyday to serve others, and to keep myself healthy with exercise; I walk about 10,000 steps a day. Then, as I don’t take any earplug sound I can meditate, and think about the world in which I live, a gift from God, shaped by our earthly family.
Thank you Brother David. I heard your words about giving time each day for prayer to re affirm God’s love for us as part of our identity, with a jolt of understanding. Of course!
Why had I not realised this before!
Thank you Brothers for this Lent series. The time spent with you, and reading the responses of others has helped me on my journey.
As to the question- it is a hard one. I think it is my continual returning to the path which brings me gradually closer to Him. I constantly resolve to spend more time to be with God, and constantly fail in my resolve. But I keep trying!
Sharing the love I receive from God.
I think it is my trust that he WILL take care of me, my attempts at patience (they surely make him laugh!) as I wait for guidance and direction; my honesty with myself and him, and my joy at his astonishing works – in me, in nature and in the world.
The joy and eagerness to be a life -long learner.
I met a priest at a Cursillo weekend who told me, “the Lord delights in you.” Then, I felt the Lord was with us forgiving my sins. Since then, I’ve often reverted to my self-critical identity. But today’s meditation reminds me of that other experience. I think the Lord delights in me because I persist in seeking Him. I see Him in the poor, the homeless, jail inmates, and the lonely.
He enjoys my jokes.
God only knows! That having been said, I find that when I serve others I receive an overwhelming sense of euphoria and bliss. It’s as if I overdosed on hormones, which would be a good trick as I have chronic endocrine disease. I like to think of it as a sacrament; the euphoria is the outward sign of God’s grace…His love for us when we help others. I get a similar feeling when gardening. We are one with the Earth, and it is good to work the Earth and nurture that relationship.
I think God loves to watch my enthusiasm for life, but knew it would carry me away if not tempered. He also gave me a burden that has forced to be develop patience and understanding and tolerance I might have otherwise never nurtured. It has been painful at times, and I have certainly asked the burden to be lifted, but over time I have come to a partial understanding of my situation
God delights in my sensitivity and will to do his will.
I will echo the comment from Christopher Barnhart. I also have always thought my enthusiasm and spontaneity were gifts from God, and, yes, I often move and talk before seeking guidance.
I wonder about Br. David’s statement that we have all made sacrifices on behalf of the gospel. I have never considered my actions as sacrifice. Is that because I consider ‘it all joy,’ or that I need to do more with my gifts?
One Sunday, our priest reminded us that the root meaning of the word “sacrifice” is “to make holy”.
Life requires me to make choices. Often I regret what I did not choose.
But I bet God loves it when I honor my gifts and relationships, when I try to make life holy.
It sounds as if you are making life holy, too.
Sorry but I really can’t presume to answer that question. However, I must say that I was much taken this morning with Brother David’s musings. Prayer, as I have belatedly come to realize, is of the must fundamental activities in my life as a Christian, something that I don’t do nearly enough. As Marcus Borg once mused, how much different would Christianity be if, like Islam, we were required to pray five times a day? Thank you, Brother David.
I think God delights in my ability to love others and especially those I don’t especially like. Perhaps God delights in my incessant puns as well!
My concern to protect, reassure, encourage people who for one reason or another are separated from the mainstream. I’m a peace, love, and justice guy at my best and have given much of my life working toward these ends.
I feel we are the beloved children of God every week when I look into the eyes of one of our diners at our weekly community lunch program. It is in those moments of connection that I feel I am beloved and so is the person I am talking to. Sometimes for me it is difficult to feel God’s love but in those moments of deep connection with our lunch program diners God’s love is very evident and tangible.
I think God delights in my loyalty – to my family, to the church, to friends…and especially to God. I got this “trait” from my own father, and have always been grateful for it.
That I am completely committed to God … that I hunger and thirst for God … that my heart longs to know God better and more fully … that I rejoice in God.
My children were delightful when they were discovering the world; when for example they observed a bird and were amazed at its flight. I hope that God delights in me when I am discovering His presence in the world. I am amazed by the sunrise and I love the songbirds in my backyard. Delightful!
I think God delights in my faith, my desire to help others, and how I am trying to let go of the past and live for now.
Hopefully God delights in the time I spend listening to Him. The more and more I just listen, I realize how much, throughout my life, He has either pointed me in the right direction or provided me with signs of things for which I should be prepared.
One of countless examples occurred when I was in eighth grade. I was beginning to lose my vision due to glaucoma. We had a blind teacher at our school, who taught visually impaired children. This woman needed someone to walk her to the bus stop after school, and my mother volunteered me for the task. Initially, I was very reluctant and embarrassed, but over time, I saw that she was no different than anyone else; quite the amazing lady! My vision declined very gradually over the next thirty-five years.
As the little vision I still had, faded away, I realized how God gave my mother the insight to have me help this teacher and how this teacher silently taught me how to succeed without my eyes. It was no coincidence that God gave me the opportunity to learn and play alongside a few visually impaired children for eight years. My faith and God’s guidance allowed me to transition from partial blindness to total blindness without missing one day of work! What’s next God, I’m listening.
When I hold a baby, speaking softly and sweetly as the child coos and smiles in return while we look into each other’s eyes I feel most keenly what it is to be the beloved children of God.
God delights in me because I show up. I stand with my friends and family even in the darkest times. He loves the fact that when all is bleak, I put one foot in front of the other and move forward. She is also happy that I’m a “half-full” girl and try hard not to complain, especially about things over which I have no control.
I think that God loves my enthusiasm and impulsiveness. But these traits come at a cost. Sometimes these traits get in the way of listening for God’s voice and guideness. I find myself acting to quickly and responding before I know the whole truth, God’s answer and desire for me.
The Apostle Peter had the same inclination, and scripture shows how Jesus was quite quite fond of him! I remind myself of that when my own impulsiveness leads me into interesting spaces.
Not to mention that even though Peter eventually realized he was walking on water, freaked out, and sank, it was his very impulsiveness and love for Jesus that made him the only one to leap out of the boat. Peter sank afterward, true, but he leaped first.
Amen!
Oh my. I have never considered before what Br. David has written about today. Thank you, Br. David!
Caring for others.
I make efforts to stand up for justice.