Where the air is fresher and cleaner

I am a stubborn girly. When I set my mind to something, very few things can get in my way. This determination has served me well throughout my life – I know what it takes to keep my head down and grind, and my persistence has opened doors I’m so grateful to have walked through.

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However.

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Being stubborn has its drawbacks, chief among them: the struggle of letting go.

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The Lord has called me to release countless things to Him over the course of my life — some of them I handed back freely; many of them I did not. I’ve spent many an hour in adoration begging God to let me keep something I wanted so badly, only to hear His still, quiet voice asking me to loosen my white-knuckle grip and surrender it. When I look back across my life, I can see that He was always, always inviting me to let go so I could receive something better, but at the moment of decision, I rarely saw that.

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I feel like I’m in a season where God is stripping things away from me left and right, and I’m fighting every urge to desperately grab them back and keep things “under control.” Relationships, friendships, plans, community – I feel like Alice in Wonderland where up is down and left is right and the ideas and plans I thought God was on board with have been wildly topsy turvy.

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My bff Erica and I were on the phone this weekend and I was exasperatingly sharing yet another development when she said, “It’s like my grandma always says, ‘Go where the air is fresher and cleaner!'” And in that instant, the clarity I’d been praying for arrived.

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Fighting against the Lord, pushing against His peace, and grasping onto what isn’t for us is exhausting. Running back to the places we used to rely upon, only to be reminded that God is leading somewhere better feels like Groundhog Day. And what I know to be true about God is this: He draws us to His peace, here in the present moment. He doesn’t want us stuck in the past or worried about the future. And when He invites us to let go of something, it’s always for our greatest good.
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To note: there’s a marked difference between “running away” from something challenging and letting go of what God is asking us to release. The key difference? “Peace that transcends understanding.” In my experience, when God has asked me to fight to do hard things, He has provided the means through grace: courage, peace, faith, and joy – even when the action itself was hard. Running away springs from fear; letting go comes from trust.

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This summer, my motto is “Go where the air is fresher and cleaner!” I’m not about to dump all of my responsibilities and friendships and plans (and please note this is very different when it comes to commitments, oaths, or vows), but I do want to be prayerful about where my focus is going: am I dwelling on the past, on places and things that used to bring peace and joy but now bring disappointment? Or am I allowing God to do a new thing?

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Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
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Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.

– Isaiah 43:18-19

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This week, I invite you to join me: is there something the Lord is inviting you to release? Is there an opportunity to go where the air is fresher and cleaner? How can we say “yes” to His peace, His joy and His love this week? I’m in it with you!

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In Christ,

Jane

Sacred Heart miracles!!

We’re deep into the Sacred Heart novena right now – one of my favorite devotions – and today I had a little Sacred Heart miracle! I arrived in Ohio for a quick work trip and left my AirPods case in the Uber… major bummer. I reached out to the driver but when he didn’t pick up I sent him a message and then surrendered it. I went for a little walk to the nearest church (you guessed it, called Sacred Heart) and just as I walked up the stairs my phone rang, and it was my driver, Ray! He offered to deliver my AirPods case to the church like an angel. It was the silliest answered prayer but a reminder that Jesus cares about everything, even the little, tiny, seemingly significant things! Let Him delight you!

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​The Chosen Season 4, Ep 1!​

The Chosen Season 4 is coming out!! I had a friend over last night to watch episode one, which was GORGEOUS. You can tune in every Sunday at 7p ET and Thursday at 8:30p ET for new episodes on their app and YouTube!

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​Won’t Let Tomorrow by Joseph O’Brien

Joseph O’Brien gets the song of the week again!! This one is sooooo good.

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Walking around without my AirPods

I guess you could say that the whole AirPods debacle (see above) was simply confirmation of what I’ve felt the Lord calling me to for a while… put the dang AirPods away!! Every time I’ve wandered down my street or to the park or to the store and left my headphones in their case this week, I’ve made a new friend, chatted with a stranger (or their baby or their dog) and it’s been so wholesome. I think I’m going to make it a goal this summer to keep my AirPods away while I’m walking so I can be a little more present to what’s happening around me! Plus, silence invites the Holy Spirit in, which is important!!

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Just the right amount

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about something my spiritual director said to me a year ago, “God is always doing just the right amount of work in us. Satan is always trying to get us to do more or less.” I think about that a lot, whenever I’m feeling the pressure to do more or throw in the towel. It could be a good question to ask yourself, “Am I moving in peace, doing what God is asking of me? Or am I trying to rush Him, or fall behind?”

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In silly news

On Thursday night I directed the “Man of the District” pageant, a fundraiser for the Miss DC organization. It was the most wholesome, sweet evening ever – these guys got up and sang and danced and strutted their stuff, and we raised over $3000 for the scholarship foundation! My word of the year is “fun” and when the opportunity presented itself, I thought, “could be fun!” and here we are:

Prayer requests

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