Trusting the Magic of New Beginnings
July 6th, 2020 was a hard day for me.
It was the day I announced to my community I was “retiring” from my beloved career in photography.
It came as a shock to my clients, friends, and family. The pain of disappointment in sharing that information overwhelmed me. However, grace met me the very next day following the announcement, reassuring me that my obedience didn’t go unnoticed.
At the start of 2020, I chose the word “Focus” with intentionality of focusing on my career, family, faith in Jesus, and finances. Little did I know just how focus would be established in my life that year.
You see, God blessed me with such a wonderful career opportunity for a brief 7 years in Photography. Not only was it was a passion of mine, I grew many relationships in my community and clientele, honoring the Lord the best I could every step of the way. I was able to create a portfolio that I was pleased in giving to clients, making lifelong friends out of those new partnerships, and witnessed my business bearing good fruit. Despite my downfalls and mistakes throughout my photography journey, overall I saw good work produced, and I was thankful.
It was the day I announced to my community I was “retiring” from my beloved career in photography.
Enter the pandemic (hello, 2020), and God began doing a new work in me.
February, right before the quarantine went into effect for the world, I was at the height of my struggle in anxiety. This stronghold was nothing new in my life. In fact, I’ve battled it since high school. However, the stresses of life during my 30th year overwhelmed me to the degree of panic seeping into every area of my life. It became so crippling that I couldn't even be a functional adult. I would pull over while driving daily, just to call my husband so that he could talk me out of my panic attacks so I could make it home safely.
Then the shutdown happened, and I was forced to pause life as we knew it. What came as a hardship for everyone, began blossoming into a blessing for me. I will never discredit the severity of difficulties 2020 brought us. We have witnessed small businesses being shut down, people losing their jobs, lives being lost to the virus, riots, and depression overcoming so, so many (lives weren’t just being lost to just the virus, but also to suicide from depression). If devastation could represent a year, I would say “2020” would be the perfect fit for it.
Because of the grace of God, it became a time of rest and reflection for me. I was forced to stop the constant “on-the-go” lifestyle, and just be at home. I will never take for granted living in Florida again, because thankfully, we were out in the sunshine daily. We had no agendas. No obligations. We were forced to stay home, and it became a healing ground for my mind. As I made time (because, all we had was time) to be with the Lord more intentionally daily, He began to transform me. Just as the pandemic forced people to work harder to maintain a healthy state-of-mind, I too had to work. Not only was my body finding rest physically, I was finding rest mentally in His presence. The stressors of the former schedule were no longer present or influential, and I had no other option than to just be.
I started to experience less panic attacks. Through His presence, His word, intentional time with my family, walks around the neighborhood in the sunlight, and home-cooked meals made together, I started to feel different.
As the quarantine restrictions started to lift in our state, and life could resume to the “new normal” we heard about, I felt something stirring in me. You see, during that time of renewal and transformation for me, God was revealing a new season to me. To be honest, all I knew at the time was that this next season had to be fully surrendered to Him, and that meant retiring my business.
I honestly wasn’t ready for that revelation from Him. And He didn’t give me anything else, but that.
I had no direction of what was next, but just to lay it down and wait. I had to keep my focus on Him, and I saw my word of the year truly at work.
Ya’ll, that is some scary ground to walk.
But I did it. I released my statement to the masses, without knowing what was next. The grace that met me the following day was the word of what was coming next. Although I cannot share yet what that is, this letter to you is just the beginning of what is yet to come.
Not just for me.
But for you, my friend.
There are so many of you that have only known pain in this year. Your hurt is not overlooked. Your anxieties are not ignored. I am walking right there with you, as your ally.
Not only do I want to honor God in what I do with my life, I want to serve who He calls me to serve. My photography was all about just that: Love God, honor Him with my life, and serve people by giving them something that lasts.
This next season, though not completely unveiled yet to you, will be mirroring the same values as the former. I want to bring value to your life. Be an encouragement. Be your ally in the fight. And more importantly, reassure you time and time again that YOU are loved. Seen. Redeemed. Justified.
Just as I am trusting the magic of this new beginning in my life, I pray you are trusting that as well in your own life. We all are facing new obstacles this year, thanks to 2020. I pray you take each moment and see the good in it, for whatever it may be. If there isn’t good, be the good. Be the joy to someone else who may be lacking it. Be the encourager, because we all need encouragement.
I was walking through TJ MAXX recently and spotted an office decor that said, “...and suddenly you just know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”
My friend, I am walking in obedience and trusting Him in this new season of my life. I pray you join me in support as I start to slowly unveil how I can further help YOU.
I pray that I can be an encouragement to you, and thank you now for the future support.
Remember: You are loved. You are seen. You are redeemed. You are set free.