Trusting God with Your Career

Buckle up, because let’s talk about the biggest scam we were lovingly sold at 17... go to college, get the degree, get the job, and you’re set for life. Hold up! Y'all I truly believed that when I flipped my tassel at graduation, confetti would fall from heaven, a CEO would magically sense I had a college degree, and someone would hand me a corner office with a window and a 401(k). Instead? God handed me… character development.

Now let me be very honest about my career path, because it is not a straight line. It’s more of a squiggly one. In high school, I worked at Hollister. You know—the store with college-aged boys standing outside in swim trunks with a lifeguard whistle, and a TV inside with a live feed of “Hollister Beach.” Yep. That was me.

I was actually scouted for modeling for Abercrombie & Fitch (but that’s a story for another day). Then I transferred to Abercrombie & Fitch—and if you were alive in the 2000s, you know that was elite. You had to be 18 to work there at the time, and I was counting down the days like it was my wedding. I worked through the whole Mike Jeffries era (if you don’t know, Google it—and I can tell you stories for days, so much there's even a Netflix documentary). Oh, and yes—I was also a lifeguard. Whistle. Tan lines. Tanning oil (again… it was the 2000s no one cared about sunscreen). Saving lives and folding graphic tees. Then I went to college and thought... okay, now I’m serious.

Except I still worked at Abercrombie on breaks. And still lifeguarded at my college gym. Y’all, I was a lifeguard for six years. And then I stumbled into the wedding industry, while looking at venues for my own wedding. So in college, I casually had three jobs. No big deal. After graduation, I gave up weddings (no benefits—we love you, but we need health insurance) and entered Abercrombie’s manager program. At the time, you needed a bachelor’s degree to even be considered. So yes—I had a whole degree… to fold jeans more strategically. I became a store manager. Then transferred to Abercrombie Kids. Then transferred again back to Abercrombie & Fitch, only this time in Cincinnati—with a two-hour commute.

One way. Four hours in the car a day. I did that for two years. Then I finally said, okay, Jesus… this can’t be the abundant life You meant. So after a nine year stint with Abercombie & Fitch I pivoted back to the wedding and event industry at a local venue. Loved it. Thrived in it. Flourished in it. Until I guess you could say I got bored. So here's where I ventured out on my own planning weddings, but the best had yet to come. And then—six years after graduating college, I finally landed a job centered around my degree in communications and marketing. Six. Years. Not six weeks. Not six months. Six years. 18-year-old me would absolutely not have predicted this squiggly line path, but here’s why I’m telling you this... because sometimes hope in waiting looks like working retail. Sometimes it looks like jumping in as a lifeguard because a kid jumped off the diving board who clearly has no idea how to swim. Sometimes it looks like managing stores, planning weddings, commuting long distances, and wondering if you missed your calling. But you didn’t miss it. You were being built for it.

And if I’m being honest? It took me a minute—or I guess you could say six years to really understand my degree. I have two degrees... one in communications and another in marketing. And here’s what no one really tells you about that path… it’s not one-size-fits-all. It's not like going into the medical field, finance, or teaching—where you can clearly see the finish line. There’s a defined lane. A structured staircase. A predictable next step. Communications and marketing? It’s more like finding a seashell in the ocean with your name on it. And it can be even more confusing when someone asks, “so what exactly do you do?” The simplest way I put it? I make them look good. That’s it. In every industry I’ve worked in, my job has been to be the voice behind the brand. To shape the message. To manage the narrative. To communicate clearly. To connect with the public. To make complicated things feel approachable. Ito make it look like the next best thing. I manage social media, create graphics, marketing materials... the list goes on and on, and on. My job is literally to be the voice… behind a screen. Eighteen-year-old me thought I’d be a millionaire by 25. Thirty-something me realizes the real flex is clarity in calling.

God wasn’t confused about my path. Isaiah 40:31 says,“those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will not go weary. They will walk and not faint. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." Waiting doesn’t mean you’re behind. It means God is layering you. Every season taught me something... leadership, resilience, crisis management, people skills, humility, endurance.The tassel flip wasn’t the finale. It was the trailer. If you’re in a career season that feels random, slow, or slightly chaotic—welcome. You’re in good company. God is not scrambling to fix your timeline. He is crafting it. And sometimes the most attractive thing about a person isn’t their job title… it's their faith in the wait.

OH, and for the record... I am still not a millionaire. 😏

SHE Walks in Faith

Trusts that delay is not denial.

Know that your degree is not your destiny—God is.

Believes that detours are development.

Work hard, but wait with hope.

Understand that becoming is better than arriving.

So if your career feels like a plot twist right now? Smile, adjust your crown, and keep walking. God writes better stories than we do. And He’s not done with yours yet.

🩷 Prayer

Lord, Thank you for the plot twists. Even the ones I didn’t order. When I feel behind or confused, remind me that You are never scrambling. You are strategic. Teach me to hope in the waiting—not with anxiety, but with expectation. Shape my character more than my resume. And let my career be a testimony of Your faithfulness, not just my hustle. Amen.