Be Loved, Beloved
Okay you guys. This post is mostly for me, just wanted to put that out there right now.
For several months now I have had a small obsession with this word, Beloved. Earlier this month I decided to sit down and try to unpack why exactly I love this word so much and why it captivates me. So here is what I got...
Beloved. To me this word evokes a variety of thoughts and feelings. Its a reminder, its a promise, its hope, its sacrifice, is the very existence and essence of love for me. This word to me means safety, it means happiness. Honestly, this word represents everything that my heart and soul crave. Everything. Allow me to try to explain:
a reminder: the word reminds me that I am my heavenly Father's Beloved. Its a reminder that I am treasured and wanted and loved. And that is something I need to be reminded of more than I care to admit to myself, much less others.
a promise: in the Bible, specifically Song of Solomon, King David writes, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." This to me is a promise that I am Christ's! Its a promise that I am His, and He is mine, for all of my days.
hope: in my mind's eye, or in this case ear, when I imagine my Father calling me his beloved, its a voice unlike any I've ever heard. It speaks of love and passion, of providence and provision. Like its said with a smile, or as a gentle whispering correction or reminder. This gives me hope for myself, and for the reality of being with my beloved for eternity some day.
sacrifice: obviously. Christ, the Lord, in HUMAN FORM came to earth and died the most cruel and painful way to die in order to win my heart. And here's the kicker, He did it of His own free will. He sacrificed for me. In love, for my good. And He would go and do it again such is His love for me. Seriously, if you want to feel loved, check this out (warning, not for the weak stomached)...
Death by crucifixion is where we get our word "excruciating," and is the most painful method of death created by man.
Not only was Jesus stripped naked on the cross, he had already been flogged so he was already barely recognizable as a man.
Jesus' knees were held at about a 45 degree angle by the nails in his feet, in this position it is anatomically impossible to maintain this position for more than a few minutes without severe thigh and calf cramping.
This resulted in the majority of his lower body weight being on the nails in his feet, and as his lower limbs tired his weight had to be distributed between his wrists, arms, and shoulders.
Due to this strain, within a around 5 minutes of being nailed to the cross to bear his own weight, his shoulders were dislocated, minutes later so were his elbows and wrists.
These dislocations resulted in his arms being 9 inches longer than normal.
The weight on his upper body caused traction forces in his chest muscles, these traction forces caused his chest to be pulled up and out meaning he was in a permanent state of breathing in anatomically.
In order to breathe out Jesus was physically forced to push his body up with his legs to allow his rib cage to move downwards and in to force the air out of his lungs.
Remember though, Jesus had severe cramps in his legs, and each movement triggered mind numbing pain.
This process of moving upwards to exhale, meant Jesus had to move a distance of 12 inches, each breathe was riddled with excruciating pain with the terror of asphyxiation.
Not only was Jesus stripped naked on the cross, he had already been flogged so he was already barely recognizable as a man.
Jesus' knees were held at about a 45 degree angle by the nails in his feet, in this position it is anatomically impossible to maintain this position for more than a few minutes without severe thigh and calf cramping.
This resulted in the majority of his lower body weight being on the nails in his feet, and as his lower limbs tired his weight had to be distributed between his wrists, arms, and shoulders.
Due to this strain, within a around 5 minutes of being nailed to the cross to bear his own weight, his shoulders were dislocated, minutes later so were his elbows and wrists.
These dislocations resulted in his arms being 9 inches longer than normal.
The weight on his upper body caused traction forces in his chest muscles, these traction forces caused his chest to be pulled up and out meaning he was in a permanent state of breathing in anatomically.
In order to breathe out Jesus was physically forced to push his body up with his legs to allow his rib cage to move downwards and in to force the air out of his lungs.
Remember though, Jesus had severe cramps in his legs, and each movement triggered mind numbing pain.
This process of moving upwards to exhale, meant Jesus had to move a distance of 12 inches, each breathe was riddled with excruciating pain with the terror of asphyxiation.
I could go on about all of the physical and anatomical details but even just these few makes me horrified that my Beloved voluntarily went through this (and more) to save my soul.
What kind of KING would choose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars to win my heart?
safety and security: this word speaks so much to me about safety. Its like a warm hug during a scary movie, but so, so much more. The only thing I can compare it to is the safety that I feel around my earthly father. When I am with my Daddy, I feel almost NO fear. I am fully aware of how much my Daddy loves me, and I know exactly to what lengths my father would go to ensure my safety and the safety of my family. My heavenly Father's presence is even more reassuring and secure than that. I can't even begin to fathom how it must feel. One day, I will stand in my Beloved's presence and feel secure in the fact that I am held tight in an embrace that will never ever let me go. Ever.
happiness and love: these two go hand-in-hand in my mind. The love of my Beloved is all I need to be happy. Ultimately, what this word resonates deep in my being is love. Contentment. Peace. Joy. I feel at peace both with myself and my Beloved. I feel accepted and wanted. And it is here in the arms of my endless Beloved, that I feel treasured, and craved. And here only will I seek refuge.
Thanks for taking some time to read my ramblings! If you liked it you can comment, share it with your friends etc.
Also, the title for this post was inspired by the blog of a friend of mine. Check her out!
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