From Striving to Surrender: How God’s Peace Rewrote My Purpose
Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
In Part One of my story, Un-Chosen, I shared about the day I was born—and the ache that quietly followed me through much of my life. But this part, this chapter… it’s about the second most important day. The day I finally discovered why. The why of being chosen.
It was May of 2019, and everything I had built for over three decades came to a sudden and painful halt. My health had deteriorated under the weight of stress and unrelenting pressure. I was burning out, losing clarity, and missing work—until I lost the job altogether. It was more than a professional ending—it felt like a personal unraveling.
I was untethered. Wandering. Stripped of the identity I thought defined me.
Still, even in the confusion, I heard God whisper, “This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning.”
At a friend’s encouragement, I enrolled in a business coaching program that integrated faith with purpose. I didn’t fully know why I said yes—but God did. Because through that year-long journey, God gently peeled back the layers of striving and self-reliance.
And what He revealed was peace.
Not the peace the world promises—but the kind that guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. A peace that doesn’t come from control, but from surrender.
That was my turning point.
The moment I laid down the need to be seen…
The moment I surrendered the pressure to perform…
And the moment I discovered who I was—not in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of God.
And the irony? I spent decades chasing significance, and only found it when I stopped chasing at all. From that moment forward, my path shifted. I felt called to learn—without credentials or background—how to tell powerful stories through media. God ignited in me a vision to create short-form video content that illuminates stories of redemption, restoration, and renewal.
Four years later, Luminaire Media Solutions was born.
Not to spotlight me, but to shine light on Him.
Not for applause, but for impact.
Today, I know that everyone has a story.
And as my coach often reminded us, “Every story has the power to change the world.”
That’s my calling now.
To help others see the significance in their own story.
Because I no longer wonder if I’m chosen.
I know I am.
Chosen to reflect His glory.
Chosen to carry peace, not pressure.
Chosen to be a digital disciple for the One who never stopped pursuing me.
Have you been striving for significance?
Do you long for a peace that goes beyond understanding?
Could it be that your defining moment is still waiting on the other side of surrender?
Marketing With Purpose. Messaging with Light.