Open Hands: Jo's Story

“Brave, curious, hurting... determined, vulnerable, and beautiful”... all words her dad used to describe her when she left home in Menomonie, Wisconsin in August of 2023. Traveling over 1,000 miles to come play softball for Pitt Community College, Jordan Lee was young and free.

Jo with her parents

In her own words, she would say, “fearless, invincible,”seeking a new life, on her own terms. Jordan, better known as Jo, around the EC Study Center (ECSC), had a plan. She had her expenses covered, her classes picked out, and a “good” place to live. Leaving everything behind, she journeyed to North Carolina, never expecting what the Lord was about to do.

Jo grew up going to church most of her life. She was raised by an amazing Christian family, but like many young people, struggled with what she personally believed. She knew about Jesus and God, but didn’t really understand His love for her in a personal way. When I asked Jo’s mom for some words that described her when she left home, she added, “a bit lost, Jo was impulsive and looking in the wrong places to fill a void in her heart – an aching emptiness.”

Jo says, “I didn't know what I believed, I had no faith, I lacked direction, was confused and lacked purpose.” So Jo went on playing softball, hanging with friends, making hurtful decisions and eventually coming up empty. Then on October 25, 2023, her life changed forever. While rollerblading, Jo tried to do a trick and wiped out hard. She had unknowingly received a concussion, and then went on to softball practice and sustained even more injuries.

She was acting confused and not herself. Her coach immediately sent her to the doctor for an evaluation and scans, where they found that Jo had sustained numerous traumatic brain injuries and could no longer play softball for PCC. Everything in her world began to spiral and nothing was making sense. Jo’s daily schedule shifted, she found herself alone. She went to class, tried to rise above, even quit some unhealthy habits, but she was still feeling lost. One day in November, Jo decided to stop by the EC Study Center. She was desperate for connection, friendship, truth, and authenticity, which is exactly what she found. Jo immediately started connecting with other young believers and house parent mentors. She found friends that spoke truth into her life and eventually visited some campus ministries and local churches. Something began to stir in Jo.

Jo and friends having dinner at the EC Study Center

Through the fall and into winter of 2023, Jo continued to search for what she believed, met with Christian mentors, went to every Bible study she could find, and eventually decided to walk away from several toxic relationships. God moved during those months, revealing truth to Jo in a sweet and gentle way. In early spring of 2024, while visiting the ECSC, Jo was invited to go for a walk. She and her friend left the house and set out on a 3 hour walk that revealed truth and transformed her heart. Jo says, “The Lord had big plans for that walk.”

She learned a lot. She gained conviction about the way she was living, and started asking herself, what and who is my master? Right then and there, she realized her life was upside down; she was living for herself and messing it up. Jo now understood she wanted God to control her life instead of herself, she wanted to drop things and fully let go. She was searching for value and love. Finally, later that fall, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God used the EC Study Center, local churches, campus ministries, and some amazing God sent friends to minister to Jo. She gave her life to Jesus, got baptized, and is now graduating in May, then taking a full time position with Casas Por Cristo in El Paso, Texas. She has a renewed direction, provision, and is obediently walking out the calling on her life.

Jo being baptized at Ignite Church

Jo currently describes her faith walk as, “Open hands...”, she says, “the past year has been like a really fast rollercoaster, and it’s been needed for me to grow, be more equipped, and discover who the Lord says I am, who He wants me to be, and who He is. I am still learning so much and will always be learning, but now it feels like He has blessed me with opportunities and pushed me to take bigger steps. To go and make big decisions over the life He has given me, for Him.”

JO and friends at the EC Study Center

When going back to our first interview question about describing her faith today, Jo tells me, “I say OPEN HANDS, because even when He does give us something, keeping open hands is important because it’s not all of the sudden mine, it is always His and it is really for Him... I am practicing just keeping open hands in my life and in my faith, of not holding on to stuff, but keeping the focus of my eyes on Him.” When we think of Jo now, the describing words are hardworking, resourceful, wise, and servant leader. By the grace of God through Jesus Christ, she is truly becoming a Proverbs 31 woman.

Jo’s story reminds us that our identity is not found in this world, but only in Jesus Christ. He is what we are all really looking for. We will be blessed with opportunities, so we must not hold on so tightly, gripping the details and direction of our lives, but rather letting go and holding all that we have with open hands, allowing Jesus to move. This is the truth found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Seeing Jo whole, happy, and growing in her faith, is why the EC Study Center exists.

Jo and her family