Faith Over Fear
A word I would use to describe the past three months would be Faith. And if I had to come up with a book title it would be Faith Over Fear.
Last night one of my friends asked that question and it made me think. I have a lot to be thankful for.
Looking back on my life, I have realized that everywhere that I have been and everything that I have done has been intentional placement from the Lord. Let me just give you a little recap.
Starting right out of high school I went into this gap year program, called OneLife.
During that program, I was put on a Fitness committee where I had to lead my classmates through workouts.
Throughout that year, I realized I was very passionate about helping others with their health, so I visited a college that a family friend had went to and recommended.
I applied at National Personal Training Institute in Winter Park, FL and got accepted.
May 2019 I graduated from OneLife and October 2019, I went to Florida to get my personal training certification.
I learned a ton from living in Florida on my own.
I have to admit, I was a very different person in PT school than I am right now, but I met a ton of cool people, some of which live in Norway, and I am beyond thankful for the education that I received. I miss Florida all the time, but I know that was only a season.
Number 6 is a little different. Before I graduated in March 2020, I had everything lined up to stay in Florida and make a living there. I was planning on living with my friends in their apartment until I got on my feet, but then my mom came down for graduation. She informed me that this deadly virus was going around and they were shutting schools down. She mentioned that they may even shut the country down so she told me to come home.
I didn't want to AT ALL. I was very disappointed because I was thriving in Florida. But, I decided to get wise counsel and move back to PA. Looking back, I can see that God had me in his hand the whole time.
God provided me with a job during Covid which was a huge blessing.
After that I got an invitation to go to a program called OneLifeX. It was a second program to OneLife, but it was all about business/entrepreneurship.
I went to that and found friends for life. Three years later and we are still getting together like it was yesterday. God knew I needed that community.
During OLX, I met really cool business leaders who would come and speak to my class. One of them had invited me to personal train his wife and work for one of his family businesses.
So I graduated in May 2020 and did a 3 month internship during the summer living with this businessman and his family in a separate apartment.
That was probably the hardest summer of my life but one of the most influential in different ways. Doesn't necessarily mean good influence, but I'd say there was a good mix of both good and bad. A huge lesson I learned was that the Lord is the only one that you can truly rely on and that people will fail you. They're human. But God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
I left SC to move back to PA in August of 2021 and a lot has happened even within a year.
God provided me with a job at a cookie bakery before I even moved back to PA which was honestly amazing. The job itself wasn't and that was a huge learning experience as well but I worked there for 4 months.
During the time that I was looking for a new job, a couple of my classmates from SC got together with a speaker that was visiting PA, and a random opportunity came up for me to work for one of the companies he partners with. It was a chiropractic clinic.
So I worked there for 10 months. And that was a hard last 6 months.
I was looking for a job again. Just realized a lot within the company that I didn't agree with, there was a lot of drama between employees and I didn't get any benefits or enough hours so it was time. I would have countless interviews but it would come back to being less money than I was making at my current job at that point, so I would decline the offers. God was silent a lot during that time. I felt very alone in every aspect of my life. I was in the unknown and the waiting, but again, God had a plan.
I was on a road trip with a few of my friends in October of 2022 and was ranting to them about how I hated my job and at the same time I get a random text from my uncle about a job opportunity at a gym he goes to.
When I got back from the trip, I called the owner set up an interview and when I went in, I was hired on the spot.
This job is more than I ever imagined. I am learning a ton alongside of a really great team and a lot of what I learned as a chiropractic assistant, has carried over to this position. So it's very cool to see how I was placed there intentionally for now this job.
Okay, now back up about 3 months. I have been looking to move out for a very long time at that point. I met a chick at the gym who I started to become friends with. Then because of her, I got involved in a running club that her brother was putting on. I met a ton of cool people, which I would now call some of my best friends. So many opportunities have come out of just that alone, but the one I wanted to pinpoint is that fact that when I met her, she told me she was buying a house and had an extra room available. Everything was God at this point. Everything worked out perfectly. I had the house before the job and the best part is, that the job is right around the corner so all I have to do is walk maybe 100 yards. I have been praying that the Lord would help to provide for me financially so that I was able to move out and now that I don't have to drive to work, I am saving money on gas which is a HUGE blessing with how the gas prices were.
And that leads me up to where I am now. I tell you all that to encourage you to look back at your life because if you're looking, you WILL be able to see the connecting dots and how God has been faithful the entire time.
This blog post is called Faith Over Fear because for a long time, I was fearful for my future. At times I still am, but seeing all that God has done for me in the past (and how he's working in the present) is showing me that he will also provide for me in the future. It may not look how I want it to, but God's plan is always better than my plan and that is TRUTH.
I hope this has encouraged you in some way shape or form but if not, at least you know a little bit more about the person behind the computer.
Faith Over Fear.
<3 Dez
(Btw, the picture is very intentional. In the Bible it talks about how Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. I'm sure he felt fearful at times. I mean if you were in the wilderness for that long wouldn't you? The rainbow symbolizes God's promises. It shows the whole faith aspect. This picture was actually taken looking out over the valley of the shadow of death in Israel. I always thought of it as a wilderness. To me, it's a good reminder of Faith Over Fear. You may feel like you're in the wilderness, but the rainbow symbolizes that all of God's promises will be fulfilled and that is a truth that you can rest in.)