beyond measure
“Trust the process,” they say.
Words they tell you to give you hope for a future that is not always guaranteed.
Well, I say trust the foundation. That will determine how strong you can hold it down without being swept away
What is the foundation holding you down?
Being a Christian at work can be difficult sometimes. It’s so easy to just slip into the norm and tuck that belief system of yours away—well, because it’s a workspace, right?
The unfortunate part is that the life of a Christian, in itself, totally has to consume every part of your being, including your job. So, how can we even do that? Honestly, who wants to be labeled ‘Preacher man’ or ‘Miss Holy’? I mean, come on, to the world, this so-called religion makes one blunt, judgmental, and frankly, a party pooper.
I, for one, think that the problem isn’t the faith, but how we wear it. For most people, it’s just a title they carry, but actually, it’s supposed to be a life that you live.
Even in a workspace, you can be a source of light. Be the one who shows what the real love of God is. Be the one who brings the joy of the Lord into the room. Be the one to bring hope into any situation.
What’s a fear you’ve overcome — and how did you do it?
It’s true — on the other side of fear is a version of you,you will never realize unless you do it anyway.
Do it afraid, do it alone, do it tired, do it with whatever limited strength you feel you have. Do it anyway.
I was afraid to be me. I always thought I was too flawed and that the world wouldn’t understand. Kept myself in a cage of the expectations of others. But then one day, not on any big occasion or absolute turning point, I just decided to slowly allow myself to be me.
I don’t know if it was sheer exhaustion of performing or the genuine desire to find out if the room can adjust to me rather than adjusting to it all the time.
At first it only took a simple “no,” which later grew to a “perhaps let’s try it this way,” and now it’s a full, “Well, I will just be me regardless.”
I just decided. Despite feeling the pressure within and all the voices in my head screaming at me, but I didn’t give in. Little by little, I pushed the boundaries until I finally got free.
A couple of times I ran back into my little shell, but eventually, I found myself back again, building the me I always truly envisioned. I did it anyway.
Now I am me. And I love it here.
Do you believe in minimalism?
In short, I don’t. But I may have been a minimalist because of circumstances beyond my control.
“Less is more” works when you have experienced the other side of the equation and have come to the conclusion that having less is a good idea. But when less is all you have, I’m not sure the mind can easily settle on that—especially because we are programmed to always think the grass is greener elsewhere.
What others call a lifestyle choice could be someone else’s survival.
If I had the opportunity to choose, I would fall into the “curator” category. I simply want what works, what is of value, and what makes me get through the day with ease.
When your daily work demands immense mental energy, high-stakes focus, or navigating unpredictable environments, your physical space and lifestyle habits have to become an anchor. You don’t choose “less” to fit an aesthetic; you curate your environment out of absolute necessity. You trim away the excess noise simply so you can show up, do your job effectively, and protect your peace of mind when the day is done.
Perhaps lifestyle habits are directly related to the kind of job you do. I stand to be corrected.
What’s a moment in your life that felt like it was straight out of a movie?
Well, the prompt just said “movie.” There aren’t any specifications about the genre, so mine is no fairytale—but don’t worry, it’s also not a horror story.
I remember a time back in college when I had just broken up with the guy I considered to be my first love. It was over a silly matter, really, but for some reason, we both decided to part ways. I was completely crushed. It was my first heartbreak.
I remember crying in my room when, from nowhere, a lady from my church whom I never really talked to much called me. I was trying hard to hide my choked-up voice. She was asking for a specific verse and felt in her heart that I was the one who knew where to find it. She just had a few words and needed the scripture to get the full verse.
So yes, I found it. And guess what Bible verse it was?
Isaiah 60:22: “When the time is right, I the Lord will make it happen.”
I don’t want to lie, that made me feel like God was talking directly to me, comforting me about my situation. But here is the twist: in that moment in time, I felt like it meant my first love was going to come back and we would resume life. I thought it meant this just wasn’t the right time, but that in the near future, we would be reunited.
And boy, was I wrong.
In a year’s time, this “first love” married someone else, and we went no-contact for obvious reasons. For a long time, I felt like God did not keep His promise. The person I was silently believing to be my future husband was happily married to someone else, and even had a beautiful family.
Like I said, it’s no fairytale. However, I would like to point out a truth: God never failed me. I just didn’t align myself with His version of how the story should end. I was stuck on my own version.
Perhaps you are like me and, somewhere along your life, you felt let down by God. Perhaps you are not viewing things the way He does. A perfect example from the Bible is His chosen people, Israel.
The Israelites were promised a coming Savior through the prophets, and that promise remained unfulfilled for a very long time. When He finally came, many missed Him because they expected Him to be an earthly King. But He was more than that. Jesus came and was nowhere close to taking earthly thrones, because those were already beneath Him—and that was not His mission.
He came and died on the cross, paying for our sins so that we may have life—everlasting life. It’s a gift He gave to anyone willing to receive it, even those not from Israel by nationality. All it takes is believing in Him and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. And just like that, we get a personal relationship with the King of kings. We get adopted into His kingdom and made joint-heirs.
That means His plan of salvation was meant to put His people in direct contact with the Sovereign God as their King, not man. That was simply beyond expectations.
So maybe, just maybe, we need to pray that God helps us see things His way. It’s always better than our way.
As for what happened next in my love life… stay tuned for part 2.
Hey, just a reminder
That tension you feel
That never-ending headache
The numbness of feelings or emotions
The exhaustion
Perhaps it’s just your body telling you it’s time for a refill, everything has been drained up.
Perhaps it’s reminding you that you are only human and can only handle as much.
Perhaps it’s alerting you that you have shifted your focus from God being your help.
We can’t always have everything handled.
There are times we just need a touch of grace. Even in our work stations.
Just like that, I felt lighter.
I prayed about it all – the good and the bad
I told God about the hate in my heart, the pride, the pain, the jealousy, confusion and secret judgments I held about people.
I told God everything. He didn’t judge me or label me awful. Instead, He affirmed His acceptance of me regardless of how bad of a person I am, by giving me unexplainable peace.
It was as if by opening up, I gave Him the opportunity to start working on me to be better. And strangely even some things I didn’t mention but were there, hidden in my heart, He reached out to.
I gave Him access to my worst version. Confessed my dark and ugly, and He still accepted me.
It felt like He was saying “I know all about it, but that won’t stop me from loving you. Since you have opened up about it, maybe let’s work on it together”
Tell me, why wouldn’t you want to walk with God?
What’s a moment that made you realize you were stronger than you thought?
My year started off pretty bad. Not only was I recovering from a heartbreak but I also faced a total shocker. I was dismissed from my then job with immediate effect.
On top of trying my very best to execute my duties diligently, I had made a huge move on leaving my , great, ‘out of the country job’, believing I had found where I would settle while in my own homeland. But, 7 and a half months later, I was told I did not fit the company’s work culture. And just like that I was cut loose.
As much as I was hurting, I didn’t break. I fought to find a way forward, I discovered a different version of me.
Funny enough, I quickly went into survival mode, I cut down my expenses. Sent a notice to my landlord as I knew I would not be able to afford my rentals but also fully aware that I didn’t know or have a plan for another accommodation let alone get money. I asked around for short term gigs to just help me navigate, while I plan for my next move. I also looked for legal advice over the termination situation. But bottom line, I was broke, jobless, and about to be homeless.
And now, four months later, I am in a better position than I was then, emotional, socially, financially and physically. I have mental clarity over who I am , what I want and where I am going. It scares me sometimes. I have archived more in this brief 4 months. I never knew I could be this strong. But hey I wasn’t alone. God carried me. He opened doors, He stretched my tent and held my hand through it all.
Just because you lost your job, it doesn’t rob you of your worth. It’s an opportunity to discover yourself outside the job. Your biggest investment is yourself, and through the grace of God that one closed door can open several others
Don’t get me wrong I am still ‘work in progress’. My current salary is even half what I used to get, but this time the difference is I have built systems that sustain me.
I don’t even have a place to call my own to stay, and i work every day, weekends included, but somehow I am happier. Am just in the messy process but can’t wait to see how this will turn out in the next couple of years. I am still standing and it’s a better version of me .
What’s a simple pleasure in life that brings you joy?
In as much as I am an introvert. I have been isolated way too much that of late I see things a little different. I discovered that there is true joy in having people in one’s life. I treasure the small opportunities I get to just chat, laugh or even cry with someone.
I may love my personal space, but I more so love it when I got company. That’s my hidden truth.
The voice in me 