"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

- Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

September 16th, 2024

Location: Salida, Colorado, USA

Greetings from the wilderness!

This week, God has been lovingly reminding me what it felt like before I got lost in my fears (sleepwalking in survival mode).

Just like the Holy Spirit told me when I went skydiving last year, by trusting in who He says He is and surrendering my anxious thoughts to Jesus, I am finding the freedom to sit back and enjoy the ride that is my life—more being and less doing.

God has been softening my heart and helping me to become fully aware of my deep dependence on Him so that I could live from a place of trust and surrender. The protective shell of "survival mode" (aka fear and anger) that I had built around my heart had become a barrier between myself and awakened awareness of the Holy Spirit's presence inside me.

Fear had me looking down, focused on my circumstances, lost in my head, trying to plan and prepare for perceived outcomes. I was sitting in the driver's seat of my life, trying to solve God-sized problems with my limited human understanding of the big picture.

And now that I am awake and aware again, the floodgates have opened, and His Word is in and through me with clarity like I haven't experienced in years.

On Tuesday, as I frolicked (literally) through the woods in childlike wonder of our Creator, God whispered to me, "Jennifer, look up!" I looked up, and ahead of me was a beautiful mountain vista. I had been so busy watching the path for my next steps that I was missing the beauty in front of me. He told me to stop looking down at my feet and enjoy the view.

Then He told me to practice my next steps looking up. As I began to walk, not focused down at the path before me, I realized that I had to walk slowly—I couldn't go too fast or let my fear of falling force me to focus solely on my steps. While looking up at the mountain, I knew I was moving towards a destination, but I had to be very intentional in how I arrived there.

This is how He wants us to live our lives with Him as co-creators— walking slowly, intentionally, and focused on Jesus. My friends, don't let your fear rob you of the view.

Remember, we were given a Spirit of love, not fear. Stop trying to be in control (depending on your own understanding)—earnestly seek Him with your mind, body, and soul, and He will lovingly show you the way forward.

As Zach Williams sings, "Fear, he is a lair. He will take your breath, stop you in your steps... He will rob your rest, steal your happiness."

Cast your fears in the fire and rest in His presence this week. May I suggest going for a slow walk? 😉

Walking in faith and not fear,

Jennifer

PS- Answered prayers!!! Scott passed his citizenship test, and the swearing-in ceremony is October 23rd. Remaining citizenship updates will be shared through The Collective 🪷 chats on Facebook and WhatsApp.

PSS- Did you miss a part of the journey? Check out the 🌎 Notes from the Wilderness blog posts in the Loto Journal to catch up.

A recent op-ed in The Atlantic, cited these statistics about Americans ages 25-54: The percentage of people who say they don’t have close friends has increased fourfold since 1990. More than half of Americans say that no one knows them well.

I’m here to tell you that virtual community can be a lifeline for many of us feeling isolated and lonely. If you are want to feel seen and live in community with like-minded people, consider attending one of our online events or in-person retreats, and join our virtual community, The Collective 🪷, on Facebook and WhatsApp.