Ten Truths for 28 Years

Hello party people! On Friday I turn 28 (I think I’m officially in my late 20s now…) and instead of doing a whole “28 lessons I’ve learned in 28 years,” I felt a bit more called to do a short list of truths I’ve learned (or re-learned) this year. What would you add? 

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Ten Truths for 28:

• The sabbath is good for us. This past year, I started to take the sabbath more seriously. I’m striving to leave Sundays open so I can attend mass, grab coffee with friends, and do other spontaneous things that come up during the day. God has blessed this availability abundantly – I’ve stumbled upon praise and worship adoration, an incredible Catholic art show, friends walking through Central Park, and, most importantly, a greater sense of peace, gratitude, and presence. I still sometimes feel nervous about having a day with no plans, but looking back, those days and weekends have been some of the most fruitful for me.

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• God wants our joy here and now. It’s so dang tempting to think that we’ll be happy when ____ happens or we get ______. But God wants our greatest joy here and now! Realizing this has put so much into perspective this year, and I recognized that so much of my unrest and discontent was coming from worrying about the future. If I trust that God is taking care of the future, then I don’t have to worry about it, and *poof* there goes that unrest! Not every day will be sunshine-y, but there is something in every single day that we can be grateful for and appreciate. Living one day at a time has helped me keep this balance, and it’s improved my daily joy tremendously.

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• Say yes to the trip. This year I traveled to Italy, Spain, South Africa, and Colombia. I’m pretty sure it’s been the most well-traveled year of my life! I’ve taken those trips with family, with friends, for school, and for fun, and every single one of them taught me something profound about the world and myself. Travel is expensive, it can be inconvenient, and it requires taking time away from our responsibilities… but if it’s possible, saying yes is always a good idea.

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• Gratitude leads to joy. For the past eight years, I’ve kept a nightly journal in which I record my “consolations” (moments in the day I felt close to God) and “desolations” (moments in the day I felt far from God). No matter how crazy or unexpected a day becomes, I find that when I get to the moment of writing down my consolations and desolations, my list of “highs” always far outweighs the “lows.” It’s super powerful to looking back and see how much God has worked in every single day – He has prepared so many beautiful moments, and it’s necessary for me to pause and reflect upon them so I don’t miss them.

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• Playing hooky to read in the park is always a good idea. Like pretty much everyone ever, I feel most at peace when I’m surrounded by trees and basking in the sunshine. There were quite a few days this year when I headed to the park instead of school (sorry, NYU) to lie in the grass or sit on a rock and read. Walking through Central Park makes me so happy. It grounds me, puts everything in perspective and gives me the chance to forget I’m in a crazy city for a minute. I encourage you to find that place for you and to go there often.

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• Generosity benefits everyone. Our generation is struggling with so much depression, anxiety and fear – and I think that sometimes this happens because we spend a whole lot of time thinking about ourselves. Whenever I’ve walked through a tough season in my life, I’ve found myself drawn to doing nice things for other people. It’s probably because I know how much it means to me when someone writes a kind note or sends flowers. And when things are hard for us, it’s a lot easier to recognize struggles in the lives of others. When I become more generous with my time, resources, and energy, I find that it comes back to me twofold.

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• I left social media and I didn’t die. I deleted my Instagram app in December of last year, and was honestly surprised by how intense the withdrawal symptoms were for the first couple of months. But by the time I got to March, I kind of loved my new life. I have absolutely no idea what anyone is doing. I don’t know when I have been left out of a dinner or a party, I no longer feel as tempted to compare my life or achievements with some random (lovely) girl who I met at camp when I was 14, and I feel like I can more authentically and genuinely celebrate the good moments in the people who are right in front of me. I’m not saying that I’ll *never* go back, but I’m surprisingly okay with missing out for now.

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• The thing isn’t usually the thing. I experienced a painful disappointment at the end of last year, and as I began walking through healing, I became acutely aware that a lot of the suffering I was enduring wasn’t because of the thing itself, but was actually from old wounds and old attachments. When something shakes us, it often reveals other places where we are clinging or grasping onto an identity or misplaced dependence on something other than God. This makes the pain of a situation sharper, but also provides the opportunity for deeper healing and greater strength going forward.

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• Visit Jesus every day. I know that I’m a student and have a little bit more flexibility than most people, but I will say that my life has changed in a profound way because I make an effort to stop by a chapel and sit in silence with Jesus every day. Whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour, Jesus uses every second I give Him. Prayer can be really daunting, especially when it’s not yet part of our daily routine, but an author I love recently said “prayer is just sitting with Jesus and letting Him love you,” and I think that’s absolutely beautiful and also true. I’m often super surprised by what comes up in prayer, but it’s always exactly what Jesus knows that I need.

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• God’s plan is impossible to predict but also impossible to beat in its generosity and goodness. Give Him space to work. I’m stealing this one from last year!! It’s truly wild how much can change in a year, but this truth is constant. God is GOOD. I see it over and over again in my life – in good times and bad, in joy and sorrow, in hope and disappointment. My perspective is just the tip of the iceberg. God is working always and everywhere for my very best, and I can trust Him. So can you!

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Thank you, most of all, to all of you who made my 27th year so special by being a part of this community and encouraging me to keep this going. 27 was a wild ride; but because of it, I have become more confident, courageous, prayerful, generous, and joyful. I think that Jane from a year ago would be pretty proud of how I’ve lived (and grown) this past year 

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Please pray for me, as I’m praying for you. And if you have any additional wisdom you wish you knew at 28, please email me, I’ll take all the advice I can get!!

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In Christ,

Jane

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Prayer Requests

• For a blessed and prayerful Holy Week
• For all those entering the church

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