Beloved

Today I woke up with a very happy thought. God loves me. No, more than that, I am a Beloved, God's beloved.
I do not know why or how, but it just dawned on me, like an aha moment.
I am a Beloved. I didn't do anything to deserve it or to earn it. It's a pure gift.
The thought has given me great joy and deep peace. I feel so light-hearted. I feel like I have stumbled upon a secret; though surely it is not the first time I have known this.
But this morning must have been that time when my heart is ready to believe it.
My personal experiences show me that it is easier to love people who are good, who do good, or who at least try to be good. I don't intentionally choose to love only those who are good, who do good, or try to be good. But on closer look, I guess I have this in my subconscious.
And that is why it was such a discovery for me this morning that I am loved, for who I am, warts and all.
I remember the Carpenters' old song "Love me for what I am". It sounds so sentimental and the words cheesy, but in reality it is the cry of every person.
Anyway, the realization that I am a Beloved is God's special gift for me today. Life takes on a totally different color when seen from this perspective. Life is not a valley of tears; it is the setting of my love story. Giving my best and doing what is good and right are not burdens; they are my expressions of being a Beloved. God is not a tyrant who oppresses, or a superior to obey, or a master to slave for; He is Love, pure and gratuitous love.