Scriptural references found in Life of the Beloved, Henri J. M. Nouwen
I have called you by name, from the very beginning:
You are mine and I am yours.
You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests.
I have molded you in the depths of the earth
and knitted you together in your mother’s womb.
I have carved you in the palms of my hands
and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace.
I look at you with infinite tenderness and care for you
with a care more intimate than that of a mother for her child.
I have counted every hair on your head
and guided you at every step.
Wherever you go, I go with you,
and wherever you rest, I keep watch.
I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger
and drink that will quench all your thirst.
I will not hide my face from you.
You know me as your own as I know you as my own.
You belong to me.
I am your father, your mother, your brother, your sister,
your lover, and your spouse…yes, even your child…
wherever you are I will be.
Nothing will ever separate us.
We are one.