I Can’t. You Can. I Let You.
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’
- Galatians 4:6
I met with my spiritual director this week. In our quarterly check-in, she asked me to reflect on the first 60 days of this transition: work, family, and moving from one home to another.
Her questions helped me pause. Maybe they might help you reflect on your last 60 days.
CALL UPON the Spirit of Jesus right now. Ask God to come near: Come near, Holy Spirit. Ask God to help you recognize the holy presence of God among you.
PAUSE and simply be with God’s Spirit — the Advocate, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth.
PAUSE and speak to the Holy Spirit as you would a close friend over coffee.
How has it been to journey with Jesus during the last 60 days?
Spirit of Jesus, it has been...
2. What are some graces God has provided for you during the last 60 days?
Spirit of the living God, the graces I have experienced are...
3. What would you want to tell Jesus about your life right now?
Holy Spirit, I thank you for your provision and grace…
As I sat with these questions for over an hour, God brought to mind a familiar place in the desert where I had met with Jesus before. Since moving back to Phoenix, I found myself drawn there again.
Imagining that place in my mind, I saw a striking image.
Old masks from my life were scattered on the ground, with grave clothes still hanging from them. They lay among the cactus, rocks, and dust: old names, old identities, old false selves.
The masks were labeled: insecure, jealous, discontent, pretend.
These were not just random words. They were old ways of being and living. Old patterns. Old lies. The false self that sin and fear try to keep alive.
But in Christ, those masks no longer belong on me. By the Spirit’s power, I have put on the new self. The new self is beloved, whole, rooted, and alive.
And yet, the clearest part of the image was this:
Those masks were still within reach.
Isn’t that often how it goes?
The old self has been named. The old self has been stripped off in Christ. The grave clothes have been left behind. But sometimes what Jesus has freed us from still sits close enough to grab again.
A familiar insecurity. A jealous comparison. A restless discontent. A subtle pretending.
And there, in that moment, the Holy Spirit gave me a simple prayer. A prayer I hope might bless you too:
I can’t. You can. I let you.
I can’t heal myself. I can’t force myself into freedom. I can’t manufacture peace, contentment, or wholeness.
But the Spirit can.
The Spirit of Jesus can call me back to the Father, uncover what is false, and help me leave the old masks in the dust.
So maybe this is the prayer for today.
I can’t. You can. I let you.
Pray with me:
Holy Spirit, I can’t change myself or free myself from the false self. You can. I let you. Strip away what is false. Strengthen what is true. Teach me to live as your beloved child that is whole, rooted, and alive. In Jesus Name…Amen.
Before you move on with your day, take one more moment and ask:
What false mask is still within reach for me right now?
And what might it look like to leave it in the dust with Jesus?
