A year ago, before leaving for the airport, I started washing my dishes—because who wants to come back to a sink full of dirty dishes after a trip? I had YouTube playing in the background when a song called “The Good Shepherd” by Joe L. Barnes came on. As I listened to the lyrics, I suddenly began to cry. The overwhelming revelation of “I belong to God” hit me so strongly that I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in my kitchen. That moment anchored my entire Santa Monica trip.
We belong to God.
I was traveling for work, but I had also planned to attend a book signing at a church called One LA for The Power of Your Dreams by Stephanie Ike Okafor. I decided to attend both church services that Sunday, and during the second service, while we were worshiping, she shared a word she had received from the Lord. It was about someone who was planning to leave their company if they didn’t receive a certain position within a specific timeline. She explained that where they currently were was their assignment from God—that it wasn’t about advancing a job title, but about who God had called them to be in that environment.
She said, “When you sow obedience, you reap obedience.” In Galatians 6:7, the Bible says, “Whatever a person sows, that they will also reap.” This is a spiritual principle established by God, and it applies to obedience as well.
At the time, I had been praying—desperately wanting to leave my job by the one-year mark if I wasn’t promoted. I had little interest in the role, didn’t feel like I was good at it, and found the work culture demanding. I couldn’t see the purpose of being there. In that moment during the service, I felt seen—almost shockingly so, like realizing someone had been listening to you the whole time when you thought they weren’t. Often, we pray yet struggle to believe that God is listening, simply because we cannot discern His response.
God is always listening.
Fast forward one year later — by the grace of God, I’ve been promoted in my role. But deep down, I knew that a promotion didn’t mean the end of my assignment. To be honest, I still don’t know when my current job will end, because the Lord continues to do a work in my heart through it.
Along the way, I realized there was an opportunity for community in my workplace—and that I didn’t always have to mentally be running for the door, looking for an escape plan. I began consistently attending a Wednesday morning Christian prayer meeting. It’s usually just three of us sitting on the floor, sharing what’s going on in our lives and at work, and praying together. This small community has helped me endure some of the most difficult moments in my role, especially when I felt like giving up.
The community—and the word shared by Stephanie Ike—helped me stay. I knew in my heart that I wanted what God had for me. I could work at a company, make money, and live a nice life, but what I truly want is to know the story God desires to write with my life.
Through this prayer meeting, one morning a friend invited me to his house church. It sounded strange to me at first, but I went—and I’m so glad I did.
From that gathering, I was connected to a new church community in D.C. in July that is led by the presence of the Holy Spirit. After my first Sunday visit, they announced a nine-month discipleship intensive. I was new and had no church references to include on my application, but I felt this was the kind of program I had been seeking. I had experienced many spiritual encounters, yet I felt I lacked discipline in my faith. I applied and, despite being new and without references from spiritual leaders, I was graciously accepted.
Since then, the Lord has confirmed to me that this is the community He has called me to—and that I have been grafted into the body of Christ. In Romans 11:17, Scripture speaks about how Gentiles, through faith in Jesus and by grace, are included in God’s covenant plans. I’ve longed for a faith community since becoming a Christian in August 2023, and I finally feel like I’ve found it. It’s a blessing.
The discipleship intensive is helping me grow in my walk with Jesus and become more bold in my calling. I’m still figuring out what it means to be obedient in a job that isn’t just work, but an assignment. The demands of the role and the long hours, combined with the discipleship program, can feel daunting—but nothing the Lord calls us to is meant to be done alone. We do it with Him.
I’m still learning how to be with Him. But two years in, so much has changed, and I’m eternally grateful for every experience, sickness, and challenge that has brought me to this point. Doing life with Jesus is exciting because I truly don’t know what’s next. As 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” And that’s how I’m trying to live—day by day.
