Being Beloved
by: Jennifer Lau
On any given day we wear many hats.
Wife. Mother. Colleague. Daughter. Friend.
Some days we might particularly feel the weight of all those hats on us. Maybe it even feels like one is piled on top of another and another.
I recall the many days when my daily weekday routine consisted of waking at the crack of dawn, hurriedly getting ready for the workday, rushing downstairs to fill the slow cooker for that night’s dinner before making the kids’ breakfasts, then prepping their lunch bags, water bottles and backpacks. After making two school drop-offs and driving to my office, it was time for my paid work to start. All this by 8:30am!
As women, we are often conditioned to serve others and put our own needs last. Our value begins to derive from the ways we serve, making us prone to take on more than we can handle, so that no one is disappointed. There are so many expectations to fill for so many people, but the biggest one is our own.
On those days, we are most inclined to forget the most important hat that we wear: a beloved child of God. Before we play any other roles effectively, our souls must be rooted to this core identity. We must be rooted to the One who gives us life and the ability to do all those other things.
The state of being rooted is critical. Imagine trying to dock a boat without anchoring it, or a child trying to hold on to a helium balloon on a windy day. The boat would drift and the balloon would eventually give way to the wind. Being rooted allows us to grow and flourish in different ways, but keeps us anchored to our true selves. If we detach from the root, we will dry up and become useless.
In John 15, Jesus tells us that he is the vine and we are his branches. If you’ve ever visited a vineyard, you may recall the stunning rows of beautiful vines so intricately connected together. What keeps them healthy and vibrant is their relationship to each other and their roots. The roots of grapevines in a vineyard can be as deep as 20 feet into the ground. They are firmly rooted. There is no chance they will blow away.
Theologian Henri Nouwen wrote on the theme of being rooted in our identity as the beloved children of God. Nouwen reminds us that God loves us simply because we are his children. In his book “Life of the Beloved”, Nouwen tells us the importance of saying “yes” to claim our true identity of being his beloved. By proclaiming this, we affirm who we really are and expose the reality of our true selves. Nouwen writes: “We are not what we do. We are not what we have. We are not what others think of us. Coming home is claiming the truth. That I am a beloved child of the Creator.”
I admit that every day, even on weekends, I am a victim to the need to be productive and “helpful”. I’m sure I’ve frustrated my family on many weekends with this desire to accomplish things. During these times, I need to remind myself that I don’t need to constantly seek to do more, or to be more than what he has already made me to be. It is enough for me to just be rooted to my Creator and sit, listen for his voice, and enjoy being in his presence -- something I neglect when my life is overly packed with activity.
We don’t need to be more than we already are because we are loved just as we are – imperfections and all. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” Psalm 139:14. We are always good enough for him. He wants only for us to accept his invitation to be loved by him and love him in return. We don’t need to prove we deserve to be loved. All we need to do is say “yes.”
Jennifer Lau is CBM’s Executive Director. She has served there since 2002 in a variety of roles. In her time at CBM, Jennifer has traveled across Canada and to many countries around the world. Her passion is to help people situate their own faith journeys within the global community, and encourage them to faithfully follow Jesus into the world.
IG, Facebook & Twitter: @jenniferjlau