Shining light on the good
Growing our gardens of joy
Last week, I found myself stuck in a loop, thinking about everything that needed to get done and all the ways I wasn’t measuring up. It seemed that my good intentions were falling flat, and I couldn’t help focusing on everything going wrong and ignoring what was going right.
But then, something clicked.
On Wednesday evening, I listened to a gorgeous podcast by Fr. Pine, who used the following analogy: Imagine your failings and frustrations as weeds in a garden that you need to pull up. But if all you do is weed the soil, you’ll end up exhausted and with an empty patch of dirt. If instead you focus on planting and nurturing the seeds of virtue, we’ll fill the garden with good things, beautiful flowers that delight us and others. When weeds pop up (and they will), they’ll be crowded to the periphery, and much easier to pluck up and toss aside — leaving a beautiful garden in their place.
Maybe the secret to working through my frustration was not circling the problems — instead, what if I focused on what was good?
We hear this in Paul’s letter to the Philippians:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
We’ve all heard these verses over and over — but this week, it was the next verse that got me:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Not only is Paul entreating us to rejoice, to bring our anxieties to the Lord, but he also immediately shifts the focus to what is good.
If I say something I don’t mean, instead of dwelling on it with shame, I can apologize and focus on planting seeds of encouragement, truth, and love with my speech.
If someone says something that hurts my feelings or makes me feel small, I can remember how many people in my life love me and make me feel beautiful, smart, and beloved.
If I read something that stresses me out or makes me feel fearful, I can remember that God is in control and dwell on the good deed I saw in my neighborhood this morning.
This is not toxic positivity — we cannot ignore the hard things, the ways we need to grow and love others better. This is an invitation instead to recognize our shortcomings, commit to doing better, and trust that God is taking care of everything. It’s focusing on gratitude, which pulls us out of ourselves and back into the reality God has for us.
This little shift moved my heart to focus on all of the joys of the week — the way friends showed up and came into town to celebrate me, the prayers and kind words and generosity I received on my birthday, the encouragement I was emailed from a boss, the sparkle of the sunshine after a thunderstorm. The circumstances didn’t change, but now I had the space to see that God was allowing them to help me grow in sanctity — a true gift.
How could a shift in perspective serve you this week?
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
Gregory Pine Conversation Podcast
This podcast is far less about having good conversations and far more about the goodness and joy of pursuing the life of virtue. The image of tending weeds/flowers I wrote about above came from this podcast:
A good reminder!!
A friend wrote something this week that I loved:
If the enemy is out to steal my joy, he would have me constantly running through the hurt, worshipping my wounds, playing out scenarios & making (even well-founded) assumptions.
If the King is out to heal me, He would have me feel the wound & give me permission to focus on everything He’s given because it’s not on me to make it right anymore. The tension is tender, it’s not about suppression — it’s surrender.
Wow.
Our brothers won their Lacrosse Championship!
My best friend and I have younger brothers who play on the same college lacrosse team, and we watched them advance to the National Championships (in our lucky hats, thank you, Caroline Lunne!)! What a joy! Go Bears!
This SONG!!
I’m obsessed with this song, and with Raye’s whole album. When I first heard this, I had a moment, “Wait, this is Psalm 30?!” It is — Raye is taking us to church!! This is a perfect bop and walk to work song!
Survivor, live
I have DREAMED of having a Survivor party for years, and this weekend it happened! I am so grateful for the friends who came in and came out to celebrate, for my friend Ben, who was a PERFECT Jeff Probst, and for the millions of acts of Providence that made this happen (no rain despite a thunderstorm forecast, a friend who owned a bunch of Survivor puzzles I could borrow, everyone’s commitment to the theme). It was a joy.
Prayer intentions
For Raquel and her family
For my friend Anthony, in the final stages of applying to seminary!
For a special intention