We don’t mean to forget. But somewhere between childhood wounds and adult striving,
we begin to believe that love must be earned.
We build emotional programs for happiness—
seeking security, affection, control—
and call it strength, discipline, even holiness.
Thomas Keating calls this the false self:
not sinful, but scared. Not evil, but exhausted.
A scaffolding we construct when we forget we are already loved.
And then Christ speaks—not to our polished selves, but to the ache beneath them.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit…”
“Blessed are those who mourn…”
“Blessed are the meek…”
The Beatitudes are not a checklist.
They are a love letter to the broken.
To the ones who’ve tried and failed.
To the ones who hunger for healing,
but fear they’ve missed the mark.
This is the mercy of God:
That even our unraveling is blessed.
That transformation begins not with effort,
but with consent.
So today, if you feel poor in spirit,
if your body resists your best intentions,
if your heart aches for clarity—
you are not far from the kingdom.
You are already held.
Already seen.
Already loved.
Smitten With Goodness 