Life Update: Moving To NYC, Growing in Jesus, Planting Seeds

Outfit Details - Top: na-kd.com, Pants: Zara, Shoes: Target, Purse: Amazon

It’s officially been 1 year since I moved to NYC and I am so grateful to God for the ability to make this move. Moving to NYC has been a desire of mine since I was a pre-teen but to see how God intentionally orchestrated my life in such a way that I didn’t move until I was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ready – I am in awe of His care, intentionality and mindfulness of me. 

Who am I that the King of the Kings would be mindful of me? *sigh* 

The past year has been amazing to say the least. I began my career as a marketer in the beauty industry, learned some important adulting skills, and deepened my relationship with friends and family (distance really does make the heart grow fonder). However, the most important development of this past year is the growth I’ve experienced in Christ Jesus and the clarity that accompanied this growth.

Being away from most of my loved ones and experiencing the monotony of adult life forced me to sit down and reflect on what I really wanted out of my life - beyond my career, my family, marriage, children - what is the actual goal? The obvious answer is eternity with my Heavenly Father and my life needed to reflect that desire by clinging to God and prioritizing my relationship with Him. As I did so, the Lord began to give me a deeper sense of clarity on my purpose and destiny in Him. It began with using people in my life to call out the gifts He had given me then God enlightening the eyes of my understanding to perceive that these gifts are real, from Him, and for His glory. 

My pastor in NYC recently preached a word on “The Principle of the Two Lights” which is basically that God gives us two types of light: the first is to see what God wants us to see and the second is to understand the spiritual significance and purpose of the thing we are looking at so we can use it how He wants us to. (Sidenote: this was a GREAT word. Highly recommend. Linked here). For years, I felt like the Lord was showing me qualities and talents that He’s placed in me and I would use them for His glory in one way or another with little to no thought of how this fit into God’s plan for my life - the first light was on because I could see what God placed in me. However, as my relationship with God has grown this past year, I have a much better understanding of who I am in Christ and why He’s made me this way which shows that the second light is on. Now, my hope is that the second light becomes brighter so my deeper understanding will become a full and total understanding of where God is taking me.

Also, I see that it was so necessary for me to move 200+ miles from my loved ones. As much as I love them (and I love them all A LOT), I needed this space to breathe, reflect on my life (with the help of the Holy Spirit), meet new people who God would use to confirm His word to me, and answer the questions of “Who am I?” and “What on earth am I doing?” 

This time and new space has also given me the opportunity to exercise my creativity in a brand new way. Without any distractions, I’m able to create and dig deep to develop ideas for how to use this platform to encourage women of God to be their best bold, confident, and righteous selves in Christ Jesus (and look fabulous while doing it). I’m also able to connect with other creative people who encourage and inspire me to keep going even when it feels like my efforts are in vain. 

There’s also the fact that God has blessed me with a career doing work that I actually enjoy and challenges me to grow professionally and personally. Since I was mature enough to think critically about my career, I have always prioritized having a job that I enjoy above anything else. If I have to spend 40+ hours a week doing something, it should at least be interesting to me, right? Right. 

All in all, this past year has been great. I’m excited to see how year 2 builds on this greatness as the seeds planted in year 1 begin to grow and bear fruit that will populate this beautiful garden that is my life.