A mixture of loneliness, annoyance at negativity online and in the news, isolation during the beginning of COVID-19, a desire to minister, and a call to love started BeLoved Revealed on September 20, 2020. The tagline on the main page of the website that has probably not been edited since that first day (that’s the next project..lol), states that BeLoved Revealed “was once a shower thought that blossomed into a platform where stories, music, images, and more are shared so that others may witness positivity, perseverance, and prayer on their webpages.” How BOLD of me to assume that the platform would blossom into that!! I’d say rather than stating what it actually was at the time of its creation, I was stating what I hoped that it would turn into.
A lot has changed since September 20, 2020. I moved to Ireland, spent time in serious COVID-19 lockdowns the entire 10 months of my first year of service, and decided “why not, let’s do it all again” and signed on to stay another 10 months in a place where I had absolutely no idea what was to come (but does anyone know their futures these days?). I have to be honest though, the one thing that remained my backbone through all of this craziness was BeLoved Revealed. It was a space to unleash my creativity, reflect on what was occurring in my life and in my head, and share it with those who decided to follow along and contribute. I asked others to share their stories, reflections, artwork, music, advice, prayers, and a lot more throughout the year. I began to witness this “shower thought” blossom into what I had hoped it would become: a space that is jumbled with positivity, perseverance, and prayer.
From the Beloved Interview Series on the Podcast & YouTube to the simple conversations with everyone during “Tea Time with KTs” on the Instagram stories, I not only felt uplifted in positivity, motivated to keep moving forward, & rooted in faith and spirituality, but I also just simply experienced the beauty of community and friendship. Even if the majority of the people that stay up to date and involved in BeLoved Revealed are close friends and family, I felt connected and supported. What more would one want to feel, especially in an online world where things can get ugly very easily?
As life begins again in restaurants, theaters, stadiums, churches, universities, I easily get whisked away in the beauty and joy of it all. I think less about posting and needing that online community that I very much needed when we were all locked in and digital. I think more about the in person community that I am stepping into again, and I think I can say that I am stepping back into those spaces a little bit better than I was before September 20, 2020. I’m a little bit more reflective, a lot more aware, and ever increasingly curious. I can say that I think BeLoved Revealed continued to ignite and form many of these qualities within me, and I have the community members to thank for that.
So thank you, to the small but ever present community of BeLoved Revealed for keeping me curious, allowing me to ask questions, praying with me, sharing your stories, and listening to or reading about some of my thoughts over the last year. As we move forward, I hope that we can fully embrace and enter into the in person spaces that are being opened up to us once again because these encounters are what make our lives so beautiful and meaningful. Enjoy seeing the smiles of your loved ones and feeling their warm embraces once again. Get carried away in the laughter with your friends and strangers at pubs, clubs, restaurants, wherever you may end up. Let the sounds of live church music and the sights of beautiful stained glass windows and large congregations carry you through your days. Attend volunteer opportunities, get involved in social causes that you care about in person, love those who are in the midst of hurt and suffering face to face. And know that when you’re curious, when you have questions, when you want to pray, when you feel a call to share your art or stories online, or if you just want to listen to some of my latest shenanigans, BeLoved Revealed is still here. The point of this platform is to experience and witness positivity, perseverance, and prayer in order to carry it outside of its digital realms. I hope that this can continue to be a place for all of us to do that. Know that I will continue to admire and fully receive your gifts & contributions to this platform. And of course, always remember: you are Beloved, you deserve to be loved, and you are called to be loving to all whom you encounter.
Thank God for shower thoughts, especially this one. I am excited to see what else this platform and all of you will blossom into.
Thank you to these specific contributors throughout the first year of BeLoved Revealed. You are so loved & your work is always welcome here!
Brother Tim Blanchard OFM Conv.
Sophia McDevitt
Shane Jenkins
Sister Desiré Anne-Marie Findlay
Ruthie DuBois
Liz Palmer
Sam Underly
Margarita Hernandez
Joseph Larson
Haley Coghlan
Matt Davis
Terra Nelson
Kayla Powers
Coletta Fanta
Maddie Loftin
Katherine Dunn
Katie Wethli
Deirdre Drinkall
Evie Kenney
Jack Edwards
Sam Spencer
Amanda Jarosik
Lillian Chamberlain
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