
“Doorways” was the theme of the retreat. Thirteen spirit-filled women gathered at St. Damiano near Winchester, Virginia, where I offered meditations.
We pondered the many doorways in our life: big doorways to life and death. To a new season in life. Doors that open and close to friendships over the years—and the little doorways we pass through with our day-to-day choices.
And the doorways that lead to other doorways, as God leads us one step at a time.
My biggest door—a physical one—was to the chapel where, in 1990, I would walk in a Protestant and walk out a Catholic.
My reception into the Church was only possible because I had opened the doorway of my heart to the gentle, insistent knocking of Jesus.
Of all our doorways, the most important is the one to our heart. The one Jesus is knocking on in Revelation 3:20. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.”
Our hearts were made to resonate at the frequency of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Do we heed the cadence of his knocking and let him in?
What am I letting in this door?
There are two reasons the door to our heart is the most important of all.
1
What we open our heart to informs all the other doors we’re likely to open or close. Letting Jesus inhabit our heart ensures that our other choices will build up the Kingdom in our souls, in our relationships, and in the world.
2
The second reason why the door to our heart is most important is that we become what we love.
We are, in a way, transformed into what we invite into our hearts.
I invite you to ponder what things you let into your heart. And how you have been changed by those things. How you have, in a way, become what you let through that door.
So many things knock on the door of our heart! Will we listen for Jesus’ distinctive knock? It’s usually not the loudest one. And how will we respond?
Then and now
Before I opened the door to Jesus, I let a lot of darkness in.
I let other people define who I was. Overachieving and perfectionism were my cover-ups for low self-worth. Fear of failure and rejection ruled my life.
When I finally opened the door to Him, everything began to get better—lighter.
Self-doubt, anxiety, and perfectionism were crowded out by thoughts and actions that reflected a new hope.
Today, I love showing people who are struggling those things how to overcome them in practical ways that are 100% Catholic—with Jesus at the center.
Lives are changed
People who work closely with me discover the simple keys to reclaiming their peace when someone or something tries to steal it.
For example, my client Alsy, a work-from-home mother of two littles, said, “The kids will continue to be crazy, but I’m in a better place.”
After working with me, Amy, a Florida sheep farmer, said, “I don’t beat myself up like I used to.”
Before we worked together, Kristie, a medical coder and grandmother, described herself as impatient. Today, she says, “I bring a quiet spirit to situations that used to annoy me. Now, I constantly feel a sense of grace, or calmness and contentment in whatever I’m doing.”
Next step
As a coach and spiritual director, I would love to offer you a free Clarity Call to find out what your next best step is to overcome chronic anxiety, indecision, and self-doubt—for good.
So that you can step into your Catholic womanhood with more confidence and joy.
Schedule a free, no obligation phone call with me here. Julia said, “I feel like I should pay you for this call—it was so valuable!”
But, nope—it’s free. 😇 Book your call now!