The Biggest Leap of Faith in my Life

July 13^th, 2023 I took the biggest leap of faith in my life.

Going on two years living in Orange County after graduating from Vanguard University and on staff part time at Orange County First Assembly of God as the Assistant Media Director. When I joined the staff, I felt the Lord saying give me two years here and I will show you what’s next. So, in the summer of 2023, I was trying to determine what was next for me.

There had been murmurs of a potential job opportunity at my old high school teaching business, but nothing was official or guaranteed. The day before I had just been offered a job as a Resident Director at California Baptist University in Riverside, CA (a very hard job to get) which would allow me stay in SoCal but potentially give up my role at the church.

Later in the afternoon, I had a zoom interview with the University of the Pacific for a public address announcer job which I applied for two months prior. Growing up in the city of Stockton it was natural to dream about announcing for the biggest University in the area.

Three decisions laid in the balance – 

play it safe by staying at the church while working as a substitute teacher,

potentially give up the church job to become a Resident Director at one of the most prestigious Christian Universities in California,

or risk it all by giving up my job at church to move back home and hope the business teaching job opportunity would happen while being hired to announce for the University of the Pacific. No guarantees.

It was the afternoon of the 13^th when I had to let Cal Baptist know what I was going to do. They wanted me to move in that same week.

I like to go with the guarantees.  I was in the youth room of the church I was working at, laying on the couch. This room is where I loved to be but what I did in that room was what I really enjoyed. I had the opportunity to be a youth leader who was a part of the regular teaching rotation.

That’s it – I loved teaching the youth. It hit me. God has gifted me as a communicator, he instilled in me a passion to develop leaders, and a desire to see young people become world changers. What better way to do that than teaching high school students. Why prolong it? Oh yeah – there are no guarantees. But I knew I needed to make a decision.

I never had to make such a faith filled decision before in my life. Most things God had made pretty clear he wanted me to go in a specific direction. I was afraid to make such a decision and for it all to fall to shambles.

I loved where I was at – the city, the community, the weather, the church, my roommates (kinda) and Disneyland.

But I did miss my family after being away for 6 years – missing birthdays, missing special events, missing moments.

The desire to teach high school students was too strong – so I began to take some bold actions to be all in with no guarantees. I had a slimmer of faith, perhaps the size of a mustard seed.

In a matter of minutes – 

I immediately called Cal Baptist to tell them I will not be able to accept the job offer.

I texted my lead pastor to see if he was available to talk so I can formally give my two-week notice.

I reached out to the district office of my high school to see how I can become a substitute teacher because if the business teaching job was going to be an opportunity in the future, I wanted to be in position to give myself the best chance of getting it.

I moved back home on July 27^th with no guarantees.

To make a long story short –

In a process that could take up to 4 weeks – I was hired as a substitute teacher for my high school’s school district within 2 weeks. Cleared to sub starting the first day of school. Initially I was going to be a floating sub for the high school I wanted to work at but the long-term sub for math quit the day before school started. Wanting to make a good impression and despite not being the best at math – I said yes when offered the long-term sub position for math.

The day before school started – I received an email from UOP offering me the public address announcer role.

A few weeks after – the business teaching job opened, I applied, I interviewed, and I got the job.

Everything I dreamed of and hope for had happened.

Imagine what would’ve happened if I didn’t take the leap of faith.

As I reflect, I have come to the realization – beneath the reality of there being no guarantees, there were many guarantees.

The guarantees – the Lord is in control, He had his hand in everything, He has and had a plan, and that He guided my steps.

The exciting thing is – I believe that no matter what decision I made, the Lord would’ve blessed it and had His hands on it because He is a loving and GOOD God. He redeems even our wrong decisions. But this was the right decision.

As someone I know would say “He STAYS Good.” The one of the only guarantees in this life.