Reminder: You Are Loved

Sometimes we lose sight of who we want to be, or even who we really are at the core of our being. We get very pre-occupied with our jobs, or volunteerism, and our families. We spend our time playing video games or watching movies or spending time online that we lose peace and a heightened level of anxiety replaces it. Recently I was on a city bus and I looked around and probably almost half of the riders were exercising their thumbs by texting on their phones or accessing an app. We no longer look around at nature or our fellow man; instead we look down at our phones.

And we wonder why we don't have more peace in our lives; instead we are worried. We wonder why we aren't more loving and kind towards others; instead we are frustrated and impatient. We forget what solitude and silence are, because our phones are always on, 24/7.

We also forget who we are at the core of our being. We forget that we are unique creations, that there is literally no one on the face of this planet who is exactly like this. We are so far removed from that which is greater than ourselves (whether we call that God, Spirit, Love, the Universe, etc), that we forget how loved and cherished we really are. We forget that we matter.

When your husband of 25 years suddenly announces that he's leaving for a 23-year-old, you are loved.

When your boss calls you into her office and states that the company is "restructuring," you are loved.

When the doctor comes back with a devastating prognosis for you or a family member, you are loved.

So how can we get back to the place where we remember what we really want, and who we are at the core of our being. I believe it is by getting back to the place where we're seeking first the kingdom of God. Now, those words need translating for me, because both "kingdom" and "God" don't mean a lot to me anymore.  What I take this bit of scripture to mean is that if we seek out the things of God (who is Love), therefore loving others and ourselves, we will come back into understanding of what we want and who we are.  This means service to others. It means doing the little things that mean so much to our friends and neighbours. And it means being a stranger to self-rejection by being kind and loving to ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically.

May you realize you are loved today, and may we re-commit to loving others and ourselves.

Mark Andrew Nouwen