{"id":19158,"date":"2023-01-19T17:39:12","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T23:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=19158"},"modified":"2026-02-09T08:18:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T14:18:16","slug":"being-the-beloved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2023\/01\/19\/being-the-beloved\/","title":{"rendered":"Being the Beloved"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first things I noticed when I entered the hospital room were all the tubes and the constant whirr of the fan inflating the bed. Visiting Gary, who was lying in a specialized bed, connected to a breathing tube, was part of my rounds as a chaplaincy student. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t walk, I\u2019m connected to all these tubes, I can\u2019t work, I can\u2019t make love. I don\u2019t know if I should even be alive,\u201d were his first words to me. I locked eyes with him, and we began to talk about what it was like to be in bed all day with such serious physical problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the course of the conversation, I asked Gary to rate the quality of his life from zero to 10, with zero being the worst and 10 being amazing. I was so shocked when he said that he would rate his life as a seven. How could someone in such dire straits think that the quality of his life was better even than I would rate my own on a good day? I asked him why he would have such a positive rating and he told me a story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

… even when my own inner voices cannot believe it, I am beloved.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast night my trach came dislodged,\u201d he said. \u201cThis happens sometimes. It\u2019s painful and makes it impossible for me to talk and communicate. It was about three in the morning, and I called the nurse. She came in and was trying to fix it but did not know how to. I was attempting to show her with my eyes and my hands, and then tried to get her to call the doctor (she didn\u2019t want to wake him up). I was still able to breathe, but it was uncomfortable, and I stayed like that for several hours until the next shift began and a new nurse was able to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked Gary how his story relates to having a good quality of life, and he explained, \u201cDuring the whole incident, I reminded the nurse of my humanity as well as one\u2019s own humanity and preciousness and ability to help others. This is my purpose in life. And I live out my purpose all the time. This is why I feel that my life is rated a seven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was stunned. Do I know my life purpose? Do I live it out? Can I help people see their humanity? Do I even recognize my own? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Gary said one more thing that surprised me. \u201cWhat color are your eyes?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHazel,\u201d I replied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo look in a mirror,\u201d he said. \u201cI see so much more than coloration in your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"hazel-eye\"
Photo by Joel Staveley<\/a><\/strong> on Unsplash<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He did it again. He helped me see my own blessedness, my own humanity. He was living out his purpose. This encounter with Gary, many years ago, comes to mind when I wonder about the meaning of life. It also reminds me of another story \u2014 the baptism of Jesus. What happens right after he is baptized takes my breath away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened [for him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove [and] coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, \u201cThis is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.\u201d (Mt 3:16-17)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"neal-e-johnson-ocean-wave-sand-cross-plus-heart\"
Photo by Neal E. Johnson<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is what Gary taught me. It is what I saw when I looked into my eyes. I am the beloved daughter of God. I am beloved. Even when it feels as if the whole world is telling me I am worthless, even when my own inner voices cannot believe it, I am beloved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so are you. We are the beloved of God. This, I believe, is the central spiritual truth of our lives and one so desperately needed today. We are precious. We are human. We have great capacity for kindness, even in our suffering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go look in a mirror. Take a deep look into your eyes. In them is your humanity, a blessed child of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"franciscan<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Hennessey<\/a><\/strong> is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She grew up in North Carolina as an active Quaker and became Catholic in 2000. For her, Jesus\u2019 messy business includes falling in love with Christ AND with the People of God! Her heart is on fire for her Franciscan community, poetry and singing and accompanying people through birth, death and the living that comes in between. She currently ministers as a spiritual director at Franciscan Spirituality Center<\/strong><\/a> in La Crosse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first things I noticed when I entered the hospital room were all the tubes and the constant whirr of the fan inflating the bed. Visiting Gary, who was lying in a specialized bed, connected to a breathing tube, was part of my rounds as a chaplaincy student.  \u201cI can\u2019t walk, I\u2019m connected to all...","protected":false},"author":7668253,"featured_media":19181,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2178641],"tags":[64933,698756225,698756227,370,8329,698756226,698756224],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-19158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prayer-and-spirituality","tag-baptism","tag-blessedness","tag-child-of-god","tag-humanity","tag-jesus","tag-quality-of-life","tag-spirit-of-god","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/hazel-eye-joel-staveley-Uo87K3AkF-4-unsplash.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"

Being the Beloved<\/a><\/blockquote>