In Stephen Harrigan's novel, The...
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In Stephen Harrigan's novel, The Gates of the Alamo, the character Edmund remembers his mother, who died the next week in childbirth, saying to him when he was very young, "I will tell you a secret ... You are splendid." If an individual has one memory to carry or one evaluation of self to recall, the most lasting and helpful would be that someone believes he or she is splendid.
Some people, because they were raised in a negative church culture or because when they were young their preacher yelled in the sermon (which they interpreted as anger), believe that God hates them.
The most exciting, freeing, and empowering belief, however, is that God "destined us for adoption as his children." For those who cower when considering God, they need to picture God walking through their orphanage, stopping and pointing to them, and saying, "I believe you are splendid. I choose you for my child."
Some people, because they were raised in a negative church culture or because when they were young their preacher yelled in the sermon (which they interpreted as anger), believe that God hates them.
The most exciting, freeing, and empowering belief, however, is that God "destined us for adoption as his children." For those who cower when considering God, they need to picture God walking through their orphanage, stopping and pointing to them, and saying, "I believe you are splendid. I choose you for my child."
