Last year, I had the privilege of meeting with Australia’s Ambassador to the Holy See, in Rome.
Chiara Porro is a dynamite. A successful international diplomat, wife and mother, Chiara is an inspiration.
We discussed various things about her work at the Vatican, and my career “portfolio”—TV journalist, international evangelist and my role as founder of “Etiquette Expert.”
Towards the end of our meeting, Chiara asked me what my plan was for the next five years.
I smiled (and, I think, gave a small chuckle), and said, “I don’t have a five year plan. My life plan is to obey God.”
I don’t think Chiara had ever encountered such a response. In the world of diplomacy, and carefully-crafted career progression, such a, seemingly, laissez-faire attitude is, I’m sure, quite foreign.
But, it’s been my life MO since my “born again” experience seven years ago.
The Holy Spirit came alive in me in such a tangible way, through the daily practice of lectio divina, birthing in me an overwhelming desire to submit, completely, to the will and purpose of Almighty God. In everything.
My new life goal was a daily, “whatever, wherever, whenever, with whoever,” surrender to God.
Through that daily time plunging into the Sacred Scriptures, meditating on the rich truths held there, my spirit expanded with light.
I experienced, for the first time in my life, the lived reality of Psalm 19:
“The law of the Lord is perfect. It refreshes the soul. It gives wisdom to the simple. It brings joy to the heart. It enlightens the eyes. It is sweeter than honey from the comb” (v 8-11).
It was as though the light of Christ dawned over my entire life, bringing clarity, wisdom, understanding, deep peace, abounding joy, inner freedom.
The daily intimate encounter with the source of life flooded me with a deep heart-core conviction that my ultimate bliss-bomb is found smack-bang in the middle of his will.
Some may call it an epiphany. I call it an encounter with the living God.
But, this was not a one-off event. This became my daily existence. My life now is one continual encounter with God.
Former ways of doing life, former habits, mindsets, goals, dreams … they were transformed in his light.
I saw the limitedness, foolishness, and nothingness, of a number things. Things I thought were important. Actually, Jo, not important.
His life-filled spirit rose up on the inside of me, giving me courage and wisdom to undertake a radical life edit.
But it wasn’t as though all my “old” dreams were dumped in the trash. Many of them deepened and expanded.
He breathed fresh life, and light, on them, blessing them with his favour. “Go after them, my darling.”
These dreams began to unfold in my life in ways bigger, and better, than I could have imagined.
Through this daily “soaking” in his Word and presence, I became supremely sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. And he taught me one of the most life-giving truths of the gospel.
“Give no care for tomorrow” (Mt 6:34). That is, don’t over-plan your life. Hold it very loosely.
Jesus tells us, repeatedly, that if we want to experience the Kingdom of Heaven, we must come at it like little children.
Do five year olds make plans for five years down the track? No. They live, literally, day by day. Moment by moment.
This was my new MO. Each day, I was to get into my secret place with the Lord. To seek his face and his voice. And do what he says.
It’s a supremely simple, light, easy, peaceful, restful and fun existence. It’s the lifestyle of a child.
But/and, it involves radical docility and obedience. When he says, “go,” and when he says, “no.”
My close people will attest, my life is one of supreme spirit-led spontaneity. I’ve discovered the anointing that comes with such obedience. There is a grace in this place, that enables us to do amazing, “only-God” things, with an outrageous ease.
I call it the supernatural “slip-stream” of the Holy Spirit.
The opportunities, open doors, divine alignments and divine favour that have flooded my life these past seven years have astounded me. There is no way I (or any human) could have planned, or executed, all that has unfolded.
So, while I have no idea where I’ll be in five years, or even five months (in fact, even five days), I have an intimate connection with the one who does know.
This is the spirit-led life, and it’s the life of ultimate peace and power.