Looking up
When our vision feels limited
Because I travel for work, three mornings a week I take a 25-minute Uber from my hotel to the client site. Oddly enough, these are some of my favorite minutes of the day — the quiet before everything begins. I usually listen to a meditation or do my morning prayer, and look out the window.
Every morning I end up in a different kind of car, and last week I got picked up in one with a huge sunroof. My ride to work winds through beautifully wooded streets, and through that wide-open roof I could see the light dancing through the branches above me. It struck me that sunroofs aren’t really for drivers; they’re for the kids in the backseat. And for a few minutes, that’s what I felt like: a little child, looking up in wonder as my meditation played through my headphones (could be a hint at my word of the year for 2026…).
The next day was a completely different story — I was picked up by a car with a solid roof and big mesh sunshades suctioned onto the windows. Instead of 80-90% visibility, I had maybe 8%. My view was distorted, so I stared at my phone the whole ride.
And of course, because I write this newsletter, the metaphor was resonant.
There’s a huge difference between seeing and not seeing — and sometimes that difference is our choice. Am I so focused on one tiny thing that it obscures everything else? Am I staring down at my phone or circumstances instead of looking up and around at the world God has so beautifully made? I know I can get so locked onto one detail, one unanswered question, that I lose sight of all the good God is doing around me.
But sometimes it’s not our choice at all. Sometimes God allows us to find ourselves in the car with the mesh windows. We can only see maybe 5-10% of what’s going on, and the rest feels blurry or hidden. Yet even then, we’re not meant to fear, because He’s the one driving, and He knows exactly where He’s taking us.
I’ve been praying with “Lead, Kindly Light,” and my favorite line keeps coming back:
I do not ask to see the distant scene, one step enough for me.
I’m grateful for the seasons when God lets me see clearly so much of His goodness, when His abundance (always present) is evident. Lately He’s been pouring out that grace. I’ve felt like that little child again, looking out and around in wonder.
But there are still (many) places where my vision is blurred. Scripture reminds us:
At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12
If we could grasp all God is doing at once, it would overwhelm us. So in His mercy, He gives us only, exactly, what we can handle today.
As we head into the holiday season (and this week of gratitude), let’s pray for the grace to see clearly all the ways He’s loving us, and the courage and fortitude to walk faithfully in the places where our vision feels limited.
Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for you.
In Christ,
Jane
Into Your Hands by Wilfrid Stinissen
Just when I thought I had read every single book in existence on surrender, this one showed up and truly KNOCKED me down. This might be the best book I have read all year, and if I could truly live it I know the peace / grace / joy in my life would be unmatched. Here’s just the briefest taste:
Most Christians invest a great deal of their energy in resisting God. As soon as we stop struggling, an unbelievable amount of energy is released… Frustration comes when we do not get what we think we need, when what we expect does not happen. Those who trust that God is guiding everything can never be frustrated. If they do not get a certain thing, they know they do not need it. If something they have waited for does not happen, they conclude that it is not meant for them.
Coffeehouse jazz renditions of the Wicked soundtrack?
Add this to the list of things I didn’t even know I needed. It’s like Charlie Brown Christmas and Wicked had a baby. Supreme fall vibes!!
Showing up for St. T!
On Saturday, some friends and I visited the Basilica Shrine in DC to see the relics of St. Therese, who was stopping by for a few days. It was a joy to gather with friends over coffee and then spend some time with her relics. There are many “weird” things about being Catholic, and standing in line for 30 minutes to touch medals to a box containing bones of a saint is up there, but I’ve recently felt convicted about the power of just showing up. Showing up at mass even when I’m tired, showing up to honor St. Therese who has been a heavenly friend to me, or showing up for friends who need a little extra love. We train our will by what we do with our bodies, even and especially when it requires something of us. And I’m so grateful for friends who joined me in showing up for our beloved St. T on Saturday!
Two of my favorites — together!!
I was overjoyed to see this pop up — I love love love Arthur Brooks AND Fr. Mike and thought this was such a great listen.
It’s not Christmas yet!! (says me, the grinch)
I don’t know what is going on but I feel like I’ve been surrounded by Christmas trees since November 1. I know that it is cold and dark and Christmas lights and trees make us feel cozy — but what happened to allowing ourselves to sit in the dark and wait for the joy of Christmas? Advent (beginning Sunday!) is a penitential season, and I love the practice of giving something up like we do in Lent. This substack post by Christy Isinger captured so much of what I’ve been feeling this month. (For transparency I will be setting up a tree when I get back to DC but ALSO I laid out my Advent wreath before I left, so I’m not completely heartless).
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving week, friends! I am so happy to be home with my family and to enjoy a few days off at the end of the week. I loved this idea from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to do a gratitude rosary:
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I encourage you to practice a simple “gratitude rosary.” The practice is simple: go through a normal rosary, and on every bead, give thanks to God for a person, a grace, a thing. At the end of each “decade,” declare a hope you have by thanking God ahead of time.
This is a secret of Bl. Solanus Casey, a soon to be American-Franciscan saint. He was said to encourage others to thank God ahead of time, for whatever he would do.
Black Friday
I have had a few friends ask me what I’m buying on Black Friday, and nothing really comes to mind. The idea of hustling around to find things to buy and then getting them just seems a little too overwhelming to me at the moment. However, it’s been fun to see gift guides all over Substack, and maybe I’ll share some things I’ve really loved this year to spark ideas for your holiday giving! Stay tuned.
Prayer intentions
A friend who miscarried - for her sweet baby and her family
For all those separated from their families during this holiday week
For safe travels for all those on the road
For my grandma’s 90th birthday this week - and her celebration this weekend!