Have you ever experienced a ‘Holy Spirit scrolling moment’ on social media? 🙂

While scrolling through social media a few months ago, a scene clip from Karate Kid III (1989) kept popping up on my feed. It was the final fight scene between Daniel Larusso and Mike Barnes in the All Valley Karate Championship. Surprisingly this clip really spoke to me and continues to do so each time I watch it. (Here is the link if you’d like to watch).

The final two or three minutes strike my heart when Daniel wants to give up in the tournament, saying he is afraid of his opponent. Mr Miyagi (his coach) says, “It is okay to lose to the opponent, but you must not lose to fear.” He continues, “You must focus. Your best karate is still inside of you; now it is time to let it out.”

After he speaks the truth to Daniel, his opponent comes in, spitting lies to keep him down, just as the enemy does to each of us. Daniel chooses the truth, finds the warrior inside him, gets back up, and fights. Instead of giving up, he finds inner strength to be the victor, not the victim. I see so many correlations to our own spiritual life in this short clip. The enemy does anything and everything, even cheat, to knock us down and keep us down.

Honestly, I have been in a battle in my mind for the past few weeks. I notice a pattern in my life: I struggle with being alone. A couple of days after Christmas, while the applicants were on their Christmas break, a few Sisters traveled to Calgary, Alberta for the annual CCO Rise-Up conference and I was home alone for three days. In the days leading up to their departure, I tried to see this time as an opportunity to be with the Lord and work on some projects I meant to complete. For instance, I wanted to work on my Italy memories journal, notes for an upcoming house meeting, and even this blog post. Instead, I found myself doing other things.

You may remember my blog in March 2022 called “The Joy of Isolation.” In that post, I describe my experience of spending time in isolation in two different instances. One was Covid isolation and the other was a special time of isolation in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Even as I reread that blog post, I see where I was knocked down but did not fight to get back up. I allowed loneliness to define me. Instead of seeing it as something I struggled with, I claimed it as who I am. In doing that I lost a sense of hope. 

But, I am reminded from that time in Adoration isolation, that the Lord meets me where I am at. He takes my hurts and my struggles away and heals my wounds. I sense he is inviting me again to trust in his intervention and His will and to live in the graces he has given me. In that Adoration isolation, he took my stony heart and gave me a new heart of flesh. Maybe it is time for another heart surgery, as I continue to allow the Lord to minister to me. I know with my whole being that when I feel that I am alone, I am never really alone. The Lord is always with me wherever I go. He sits there waiting for me to grab his hand and rest my head on his shoulder like a child does with their father.

As I was looking back this Christmas, I found a prayer that I wrote and it seems fitting for this battle and this new year. I titled it Prayer for A New Me:

Dear Lord and Mother Mary,

I ask for a new mind so as to think more positive thoughts than negative ones.

I want to be able to think more of others than of myself.

I ask for new eyes so as to see myself as God sees me.

I no longer want to see only the trials and tribulations, but the joys and the victories.

I ask for new ears, to hear your sweet voices in my heart.

I want to hear the truths over the lies that I have been listening to and believing.

I ask for a new mouth, so as to sing your praises and give you thanks.

I want to leave complaining and judgment behind.

I ask for new hands, so as to open them and receive all you want to give to me.

I ask for new feet, so as to run to your arms in good times and in bad.

I ask for a new heart, so as to love me as you love me.

I want to be rid of this stony heart.

I ask for new muscles, and for the strength and courage that it will take to break down any walls that I have built that block me from you.

Mother Mary, intercede on my behalf for a new me.

Lord Jesus, please answer my prayer.

Amen

As I reflect on the past few weeks, I am reminded that when the enemy knocks me down and yells all lies at me, like in the video clip above, the Lord wants me to get back up and fight. My weapon is Jesus and his truth. I have the power to fight the liar and his lies. He wants to keep me down and make me afraid. But it is Christ who gives me strength. Even now I can hear him whisper to me “Your best self is still inside you, now it is time to let her out!” just like Mr. Miyagi did in Karate Kid. Not loneliness, not fear, not the lies, but Jesus defines me. With the Lord’s help, I can live out my best self and be the warrior he calls me to be.

Is there any repeating struggle you want to invite the Lord into during this new year? Ask the Holy Spirit, our coach, to show you. Even more, give him permission to whisper to you, “Your best self is still inside you, now is the time to let her [him] out!” 

One Comment

  1. Erika February 1, 2025 at 9:13 am - Reply

    Sr Alison, your words spoke truth to my heart. Thank you for sharing your experiences, your prayer, and your heart ❤️

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