I always enjoy hearing from my readers, but this recent email is special: from Barbara, a “wife, mum and nanna in the UK.”
Barbara writes:
I just wanted to send you a little message to tell you what a blessing your book “You are loved: praying with John” is being to me. I am fairly new to praying with beads, and recently felt a drawing in my heart to grow in my belovedness, and to pray with Scripture, so your book seems heaven sent to me!
Several years ago, I did a wonderful Ignatian prayer journey with a spiritual director, which took a year to complete. It was a very precious time to me, and something very special happened during the week of praying about Jesus being baptised, and hearing His Fathers voice calling Him His beloved Son. I had been in a small shopping centre where I live, called The Royal Star Arcade, and as I was coming down some stairs, the warm sun was shining through a window, and a song began to play in the background. It was ‘My Girl’ by the Temptations. It seemed just for me, and sparkled with something heavenly, and so I whispered “Lord, could that be You singing Your love over me?” Well, since that day, He has sung it over me many times, and in such lovely ways. I remember going to sing to patients in our local hospital for the very first time, and feeling very nervous - I walked into my very first ward, and what should come on the radio, but “My Girl!”
The reason I am sharing this, is because despite His wonderful kindness to me, I don’t always feel like His beloved, which is probably why He has led me to your book! But…yesterday, while isolating and sitting in bed with covid, I quietly prayed through chapter one using my prayer beads. I sensed a couple of places where my heart was particularly drawn, and afterwards decided to write down what He might be saying to me…
“My child, I see you, even at times when you’re not aware of it. I know you…”
As I wrote ‘I know you’ I couldn’t believe what happened, for suddenly I could hear “My Girl” playing on the TV downstairs on a program that my husband was watching. I just closed my eyes in wonder and thankfulness, and then wrote…
“…and you are truly My Girl.”
This has so lifted my heart, and came about because of your lovely book, and I just wanted to write and let you know that ‘His overwhelming, abiding love’ that you mentioned in the preface…is coming through just as you had hoped!
Many blessings, in His wonderful love,Barbara
Thank you, Barbara, for echoing that we are always God’s beloved.
Blessings, my friend,
Agatha