In 2016, I was laid off from my job. I didn’t panic at the time. I wasn’t afraid or anxious about what would happen next because I knew God had to have something better for me. I wasn’t exactly in love with the job I had—actually, I hated it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the work I did and the few friends I made, but I hated some of the experiences I’d had—and the fact that I had been through the same thing before. During my time there, God kept showing me there was something more.

Fortunately, before I was laid off, I had already started my t-shirt business. So, I continued to work on my business every day (it was my job) while I applied for other positions. Was my business making enough to support me? No. So, how was I going to make it? By the grace of God. I knew I had been praying and working. I knew God heard me even though it didn’t feel like it. Some days, I was so scared. I didn’t know how I was going to make it. Still, l prayed, went to church, and believed that God would provide. Each month seemed to take care of itself.

While I was praying, working, and hoping my life would get back on track, I also faced homelessness. The condo I was living in was being sold. Right before my daughter’s high school graduation, we’d moved into this cute little condo. I was renting it with the hopes of purchasing. But two years after moving in, I was laid off; so, there was no way I could buy it. With no possible job leads or offers, I had no choice but to pack up and move back home to New Orleans.

I moved back kicking and screaming. I did not want to go. I applied for any and everything in Dallas, hoping to stay. Once I got to New Orleans, I applied for everything so that I could work and save money, so that I could go back to Dallas. But it was the same in New Orleans as it was in Dallas, not one job offer. I couldn’t figure out why… The only resources coming in were from my t-shirt sales, but that wasn’t enough to make a difference.

August 2019, I turned 50.  Surely, I would have a job by then, be married again, and with a new house and a new car. Not! I was still in a financial valley, and if I wasn’t low enough, my mother was diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer. I soon found out that God had a different job for me: Caring for my mother. I had to make a conscious decision not to look at that diagnosis as a “kick me while I’m down” situation. I got up every morning, prayed for strength and got myself together. I made sure my mother had everything she needed—including her breakfast, and then I proceeded with my day. In early 2020, my mother was placed in home hospice care, so my responsibilities increased. She passed away in April 2020. Soon after her memorial, I was contacted by a recruiter for the position that I’m currently in. God is always on time.

Although at times I feel I’m still not back on track, I continue to pray, go to church, and believe that God will provide. While I’m taking a break from my business, I’m still working behind the scenes to rebrand. I have another business idea that I’m working on, and I remain open to new opportunities. One thing that I learned during this interruption was to trust God’s guidance even when I don’t understand what’s going on.

What do you do when it seems like God isn’t hearing or answering you; when everything looks like it’s at a standstill and you don’t know what’s going on? When God interrupts your plans for His—pray, trust, and wait!