Ep 4-Trading Control for Calling

Hey friend, I'm so glad you're here. Let's take a deep breath because today we're stepping into something powerful. I know what it's like to have your head spinning without wondering if you're doing enough, if you're even worthy of the dreams on your heart. I've been there. And maybe, just maybe, you've heard those lies whispering to you too.

I'm Sarah. I'm a wife and a mother of three amazing kids and a woman who traded in corporate climb for a calling. I've spent over twenty years in corporate America chasing a version of success that looked great on paper but left me exhausted, anxious and distant from the people I love most. It took me hitting rock bottom emotionally, spiritually and mentally for me to surrender and ask God, what now? That was the beginning of a new chapter.

I left corporate life behind and stepped into my purpose and created this space for women like you to reclaim your truth and live boldly through faith. This isn't about pretending we've got it all figured out. It's about showing up anyway and letting God rewrite the story, your story, with his truth. Because you're not alone and those lies, they don't get the final say. So whether you're listening while driving, folding laundry, or just trying to steal a quiet moment for yourself, I pray that this time together blesses you.

Let's walk this journey together, one truth at a time. Are you ready? Let's do it.

Hi friends. I'm going to start off today with some scripture. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.

Jeremiah 2nine 11. Let's sit with that for a moment. So God says He knows the plans He has for you, not you, not your boss, not the version of you that's striving. He knows and his plans. They're not rooted in hustle, burnout, or survival.

There are plans to prosper you, not just in business, but in wholeness, joy, and peace. So I'm going to take a deep dive into the scripture and share a story with you. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to cling to what you think is the right path. God's blueprint is better.

The question is, are you resisting his plan? Are you clinging so tightly to your own that you're missing his? Let that sink in for a moment. Let this be your reminder. You're allowed to let go.

You're allowed to ask God to show you his way, the way he designed uniquely for you. When you surrender the lies and with trust, he'll provide. Take a moment and think of what lies have crept in over time, keeping you from your purpose, your joy. Let's remove those lies and fill them with God's word. I'm going to take you back to a season when I thought I was thriving.

I was climbing the corporate ladder, checking all the boxes, and moving closer to what I thought was my dream. From the outside it looked like success, but the reality? I was mentally exhausted, emotionally drained, and losing the most important people in my life. This was my BC, my before Christ moment. We all have one.

We remember exactly where we were when it happened. Maybe you're in your BC moment right now but here's the beauty my BC became my testimony and yours can too. It was my starting point of my walk with Christ So I was determined to prove who I was in the workplace. I made it into leadership. I was preparing for the next step executive level.

Then the pandemic hit. Our company let go of 75% of our employees and I absorbed the workload of my five person team. My desk was shoved into the corner of my bedroom. This may sound familiar to you. My commute became the five steps from my bed to the chair.

I worked eleven hour days, barely ate dinner with my family and then I would roll right back into bed each night. Family, I barely saw them. And when I did, I was short-tempered, bitter, and exhausted. Can you relate? I became a person no one wanted to be around, not even myself.

But I kept telling myself, this is your moment to prove who you are. Show them you can handle it. Be the executive. But that wasn't God leading me. That was the enemy feeding my ego.

I was chasing purpose. I was chasing validation. But I'm going to pause right there. Chasing validation. So many seek validation outside of God through job titles, approval from others, likes on social media, or even some applause in the boardroom.

And we think that's joy. That's purpose. That has value. That's who I was. But the truth, it's temporary.

It's empty because when we seek validation from the world, we're constantly striving, never arriving. But when we seek validation from God, we receive identity. We receive peace. We receive truth. Validation from God isn't based on performance.

It's based on who he says we are, chosen, loved, enough. So what we thought would be just one week of virtual work from home turned into two, turned into a month, still being masked up, isolated, and rationing toilet paper. I remember going into the grocery store fighting over who's going to get the last roll on the shelf. But one morning I woke up and felt a weight so heavy I could barely breathe. But then something changed.

There was peace in the room. It felt soft, steady, kind of almost unexplainable. And I know now it was the Holy Spirit. At that moment I dropped to my knees. I was completely broken.

Tears running down my face. I felt lost and alone and I prayed. I surrendered. I asked God to forgive me, to help me, to feel the emptiness I had been ignoring. And you know what?

He did. He showed me there was a different path. His path. One where I didn't need to figure out how. One where obedience wouldn't unlock provision.

That moment was my Isaiah 3zero 21 moment. Whether you turn to the right or turn to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way. Walk in it. But what truly undid me was realizing that God had been there all along. Even before I recognized his voice, he was near.

He wasn't just guiding me. He was carrying me, waiting patiently for me to look up and surrender. That's how God works. He never leaves us even when we don't see him. He's protecting us, covering us, guiding us behind the scenes, and how pleased he is when we finally stop striving and say, Okay God, I need you.

That brings me to Deuteronomy 31 where it says, Be strong and courageous. Don't be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. So even in our BC moments before Christ seasons, He's there. And when we finally lift our eyes to Him like it says in Psalms 120 one:one-two, I lift up my eyes to the mountains.

Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. That was me on the floor empty and exhausted. But when I looked up, help was already on the way. That moment of surrender wasn't just emotional, it was transformational.

Because when God speaks and you actually listen, things begin to shift. So I had a choice. Stay in survival mode or step out in faith. I chose faith. I sat down with my husband and shared what had been stirring in my heart.

We talked honestly about what it would look like for me to walk away from corporate America and what I would need in order to move forward in faith. We both had an agreement and we knew it was time. He had seen a change in me. I wasn't joyful anymore. I wasn't laughing.

I had become the devil wears Prada version of myself. That wasn't who God created me to be. So the next thing I did, I wrote my resignation letter. I told my leadership team this wasn't about money or opportunity. It was about my mental health, my marriage, and my family.

It was time to choose me. If you listened to episode one, you know I'd already had been working part time with Jennifer at Sweet Success Business Services for years. We'd always talked about me going full time one day,

but I was scared,

afraid to let go of that steady paycheck, and afraid I would fail. But God was saying, Release the fear. Take the leap. I will provide. Philippians four nineteen.

So I did. And friend, I share this with you in the hope that you know where you are right now is not your forever. If your job is draining you, if your spirit feels empty, and if your dreams feel buried, God has more for you. You don't have to stay stuck. You don't have to do it alone.

You can release the fear and ask God to show you his blueprint for your life. If you trust him, he will lead. He will provide. All it takes is one leap of faith. If you're sitting somewhere listening to this podcast, will you stop and take a moment with me?

Take a deep breath and repeat out loud. I have a purpose. I am capable. I am covered in God's peace. So now imagine this with me.

You're in your dream role in your dream office working just a few hours a day. You're thriving. Your family's thriving. Your business is running smoothly. You've got systems, automation, and peace peace of mind.

And when you wake up in the morning, the first thing you do is grab your bible and begin pouring into God's word because you don't have to rush. You're not in a panic mode to get to the office. And you get to make breakfast for your family. Soak in the morning because you're not chasing time anymore rushing out the door to beat the traffic to the office. And then next, you're sitting at your desk.

You open up your email, three new emails, new business that came in overnight with passive income. You're smiling. You thank God. You remember the fear you used to have, and now you see what obedience has created. Peace, provision, simplicity.

You get to take your family out to dinner. No guilt. No stress. You don't have think twice about how to pay for it. Your kids' sports are covered.

Groceries are covered. Your business is flourishing. So that vision, it's possible, and God wants it for you. He has that kind of peace and purpose for you outside of corporate America. And when you partner with Him, He breathes on your dreams and makes them bigger than you could even have imagined.

And I believe I can help you get there. Not because I have all the answers, but because I've been where you are and I've seen what happens when you leap in faith. So if this message stirs something up in your spirit, if the Holy Spirit is tugging at your heart, lean in. Pray. Ask God to show you.

And when you're ready, I'm here. I have tools, support, and the truth to help you break free from the lies and step into your purpose. You are worth investing in. You are worth the leap. I'm going to lead us in prayer.

Father God, I lift up the woman listening right now, the one who's unsure, the one who feels fear rising louder than faith, the one who wants to trust you but doesn't know how to take the first step. Lord, see her. You see the battles in her mind, the weight in her heart, and the questions she's afraid to say out loud. Today I pray that you meet her in that place. Whisper to the truth of who she is, chosen, capable, called.

Remind her that she doesn't have to have it all figured out to follow you. She just has to take the first step and trust that you'll meet her there. God, give her the courage to release the fear, to surrender the lies, to believe that your plans for her are good even when they feel unfamiliar. Replace her anxiety with peace, replace her doubt with your promises and lead her with clarity as she walks into the purpose you've designed just for her. Lord help her take the leap knowing she's not leaping alone but straight into your arms.

We trust you Lord even when it's hard. We choose faith over fear. In Jesus name, Amen. But before you go, I created something just for you. It's a guide to help you open your Bible and lean into God's voice when you're unsure what's next.

If you're like me, there are days when I open my Bible and still wonder God. Where do we even start? So this download is what I had wished for. A way to go deeper into scripture, journal my prayers and fill my Bible with real raw moments of God showing up. So I hope this and future downloads that will come will help you build a rhythm of turning to God's word even in the unknown.

So until next time, keep trusting, keep walking, and take that leap of faith. God's got you.

You can find me on Instagram at leaps of faith with Sarah. Send me a message, leave a comment, or reach out. I'd be honored to listen, encourage you, or even pray with you. If you're in need of prayer, don't hesitate to reach out. I'd love to stand in faith with you.

And if this episode blessed you, be sure to follow, subscribe, and share the podcast. Let's continue to speak life, walk in truth, and take bold leaps of faith together. Until next time. Stay rooted in him, and remember, you're never alone.