1 john 4:18

Have Your way. Have Your way. Have Your way.

These simple lyrics are so easy to sing but so hard to actually mean. So many times I cling to the things that I desire, the things that get in the way of my full surrender.

Have Your way. Have Your way. Have Your way.

One year ago today I was faced with the decision, with the help of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, to pray "have Your way" or to cling to my own ideals and wants. I asked for clarity, and God provided. But where do you go from there?

It has been one of the craziest and absolutely beautifully grace-filled years of my life. From September 27, 2012 to September 27, 2013 I have been actively discerning the plans the Lord has for me in my life... Not to try to "figure things out" but to try to live with the most Joy possible and love in the fullest way that I can. I'm not trying to have the path put out and planned for me, but for me to see the path that I can be Christ for others. I have been attempting to actively, continually, and consciously surrender to the Lord for this past year of my life.

I've seen my perspective switch. Despite the struggles, I've seen my worldview become sacramental - seeing His grace in everything. I have not been stressed once. I have truly attempted to follow with all my heart, and that means giving up my wants and praying to desire His mercy. It means giving up to gain so much more.

A great and wise friend of mine told me this quote about grace, one year ago today: "If you over-think it, you're missing the point. Don't try to debunk it, just let it be what it is."

In reflecting on these words today, I have found that it can also be interpreted in this way: "If you over-think God, you're missing the point. Don't try to debunk God, just let Him be Who He is."

God is.
God is Who He says He is.
God keeps His promises.

But my life gets in the way - my impatience, my pride, my restlessness. My "human" gets in the way of the grace that God is continually pouring into my life. The grace that He is continually pouring into your life. The grace that He is continually pouring into our lives. I believe that all of these things get in the way because we are scared of what happens when we do surrender.
I know that I was scared. I was terrified. Our humanity cannot comprehend the Divine. We become overwhelmed, and we cower away.

One thing I have learned in the past year is to be fearless.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love." 1 John 4:18
Let love in, and fear disappears.
Let God love you.
Let Love in, and the fear fades away and we see the beauty of when we let ourselves say "Have Your way."

St. Thérèse, pray for us.

Take the time to stop to smell the roses the Lord has given you today.

Live with Joy.

luke 5:4

I have never been one to have a blog.

It's way too personal for me. It's way too "Look at me! I have a blog!" I never thought I would give in.

But today in prayer, the Lord really put it on my heart to share some of the things that He has revealed to me in His love.

And why would I say no to that?

So, here I am. A Catholic college girl just trying to make her way through a world that hates me because of my faith. Exciting, huh?

Recently, I've been feeling poor and powerless. Not in the sense of possessions, but spiritually. And it seems crazy to me that while I am absolutely sure that God is, and God keeps His promises, I still can feel doubt.

Doubt. How original.

I was feeling lost. So I threw myself  before the Blessed Sacrament and gave my all to Jesus. Again. For the third time this week. And that's the thing - the act of surrender is continuous. It isn't a one time thing. We are constantly shifting and changing, but God stays the same. So we must keep giving our lives to Him to anchor us and keep us grounded. Our society programs us to run away and dismiss the fact that we need help in this life.

The truth is, we can't do this alone. Surrender is communal. You can't surrender without God helping you to surrender. You can't surrender without involving everyone else in your life. We must surrender together.

We have no reason to feel poor or powerless. We have perfect love and peace and hope in the One who has promised this to us. He promised it. All these things are already within us. We just need to surrender to allowing ourselves to see the manifestation of His promises.

And thus, this blog was born. It's an act of surrender. Communal surrender - sharing my faith with others. God asked me to cast out into the deep.

So here I am, Lord. Anchor me.

"You are the hand that reaches out to save - and I am set free."

Live with Joy.