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The Story Behind Writing with Jesus: Gethsemane, The Place of Crushing

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With newborn Daisy girl in sunny Florida on film

You have found me here, Reader, in this weird little world from your corner of it to mine. It’s nice to meet you.

First and foremost, thank you so much for stopping by, a reader, perhaps even a writer. Sometimes it feels we’re a dying breed. In the fast-paced world of social media, you’ve decided to slow down. The modern-day version of my father reading the newspaper at the kitchen table when I was a child, drinking black coffee or red wine depending on the time of day, ink staining his fingertips, pausing briefly to pet the dog.

I learned the hard way that just as life isn’t meant to be done alone, neither is writing. Jesus wanted to be part of it all along. That’s what Writing with Jesus is. A space for me, for you, to reflect on the Gospel, to glorify God, to laugh together, cry together, to feel seen and known, and be sharpened and sanctified as we walk down this narrow road.¹ With Jesus. Because of Jesus. For Jesus, and His Kingdom.

Younger Katie, age 24, writing in the mountains on film

And here’s the backstory. Despite my “effervescent” personality, as one news reporter put it when I spoke at a mental health conference, Writing with Jesus was inspired by Gethsemane (and my previous blog on a different platform that didn’t glorify God nearly as much as I wish it did. Sanctification is slow. Our Lord is patient. Thank you, Jesus.)

Gethsemane is a place in the Mount of Olives (ehem, cue the olive tree in the WWJ logo). In Hebrew it means “oil press, the place of pressing, the place of crushing”. It is the place that Jesus himself wrestled with the Father, with His will versus the Father’s will.

Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:38-39

He pleaded with His friends to stay awake and pray with Him. He asked His own Father to take His cup. Even Jesus, in His most human of moments, wished for different circumstances. We serve a God who understands.

Sun-kissed with husband on film

As a suicide survivor, a veteran in experiencing an array of mental health conditions for about 20 years (and I’m still in my 20’s), and as someone who has been saved, set free, completely delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit from all of them, and yet still found that after surrendering my life to Jesus that I could not escape the repercussions of this sin-cursed world, its trials and tragedies, writing has been a place of pressing, of crushing, of crying out to the Holy One “Why have you forsaken me!”

When I first started this publication, I was fresh from a miscarriage, a pregnancy wrought with spiritual warfare, and grappling with the beauties and challenges of motherhood as a newborn baby snuggled into my chest. The Lord put it on my heart to write about real heartache, real wrestling with God (It’s good for us. It breeds intimacy with Him, invites wisdom from Him, and demands moving from glory to glory)², real unfiltered moments from pregnancy and motherhood that will either make you laugh or cringe.

And since then, the Lord has led me to also share miraculous testimonies of deliverance that He has done in my life, wholesome Christian humor because God is funny and we don’t think about that enough, and glimpses into marriage and everyday life written to draw you closer to the Bridegroom and Giver of life Himself.

Baptism on film

And here’s another piece of my heart behind why I write here.

How many of us want the anointing, the oil, the aroma and fragrance of Christ, to be greeted at Heaven’s gates with, “Well done my good and faithful servant”, but we don’t want what it takes to get there. A hard truth the Lord taught me is He cares so much more about our faith, the transformation of our hearts, minds, and souls, than He cares about our comfort. The Way is narrow. The farther we go into glory, the less we can bring with us. The Christian life is not easy. He’s coming for a pure bride. And He can handle all our kicking and screaming on the way there. He loves us too much to lose us.

And if this publication is even my small contribution to encourage you to keep the faith in the midst of this fallen and broken world, or to inspire someone to surrender their lives to Jesus despite everything the enemy has done to try to keep them from knowing true freedom and salvation that is only found in Christ, then I will praise God all the more for the opportunity He gave me to be obedient in how to steward this space.

And Reader, you should know, besides a writer and mama, I’m also a flight attendant’s wife, a therapist, and an ex-improv comedy performer that would love to get back on stage when I find the time. So, expect to get a jump scare of a comedic post from time to time in between some deep, emotional, theological reflections.

Honeymooning in Rome, Italy on film

I hope you come to this publication slowly, with a hot coffee or tea by your side, with something sweet and a warm blanket. Like friends sitting down with one another after a long day.

I want Writing with Jesus to be the place you go to feel whimsy, to laugh, to relate, to feel understood.

I want to flood you with film photos and sometimes with memes. To invite you into my Florida backyard, or wherever in the world I happen to be visiting. I want you to connect here with other creatives, readers, and believers in the comment sections. Poets and pilgrims (Oo, band name idea?) on their way to the Kingdom.

On the Florida coast with baby girl on film

I want to walk alongside you in your wrestling, to challenge you to pray, to inspire you to read the Bible and find time with the Lord in the secret place,³ to have faith, even just a mustard seed’s worth of it,⁴ even when everything in and around you are shouting at you to have unbelief. Not just for you but for God, His namesake, and His glory.

And sometimes, I want to make you laugh. Nothing crazy, just the kind where the air comes out of your nose a little more than usual.

Thank you for being here, Reader. And if you are a paid subscriber, or you’ve “bought me a coffee”, I thank you deeply for supporting this little online ministry.

With thanks, 2 Corinthians 13:14,

Katie Donohue Tona

If you liked this post, feel free to browse the Writing with Jesus Library to start reading!

The Little Library of WWJ & How to Find Your Way Around Here

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1. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

2. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthian 3:18

3. “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:6

4. “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” Matthew 17:20