One year ago today...
I raised my right hand and officially swore in. I stepped off the plane and onto a bus, heading into the unknown of what was to come. And although it was unknown, I was more ready for it than anything I had ever been in my life. I was not only ready to start serving our country, but to serve a bigger purpose for myself. To pursue my calling.
If it weren’t for God, I wouldn’t even be standing in the place I am today. My senior year of high school, I was going through an ongoing dark time in my life, and it wasn’t until I experienced God’s presence for the first time until my eyes were opened to all that He had in store for my life. I had tried to join the military right out of high school, before having a personal relationship with Jesus, but it just wasn’t working out. Because of something on my record, my recruiter said she wouldn’t fill out a waiver for me to join the Air Force unless I processed with a mechanical job. At this point I was super stressed and didn’t know which direction to take in life. A few weeks later, I went to Younglife camp for the first time and that was when God revealed himself to me in the most amazing way that I can’t even put in words to this day. It changed my life forever. And that summer is when I had gained clarity and realized that I was being called to something else at the time. I attended college, became a young life leader, youth group leader and accepted that I had a lot more growth ahead of me before I could pursue this calling. My plan was to finish my degree and then try joining the military again as an officer, but ultimately I surrendered everything to God and let him guide me where He needed me.
Eight months later, in January of 2017, I was headed to my daily workout with the marines at their recruiting office when I stopped outside of the Air Force office to see if they had any officer brochures. As I started walking away a MSgt saw me and came outside asking if he could assist me with anything. He brought me into the office and before I knew it I was filling out an application, with him insisting on helping me out with my situation in any way he could. I felt this as God saying to me,
“Try this again, but this time with me.”
The process wasn’t easy though... it took about 10 months before I actually got a guaranteed job and shipped off to basic. But let me tell you, between those 10 months, I experienced so much growth and gained so much maturity, as God was preparing me for what was to come. So I could gain resiliency and courage and be 100% prepared mentally, physically, and spiritually. And then the day came. When I raised my right hand and swore in. Followed by graduating basic training and earning my airman’s coin, graduating from tech school and learning a new skill, and moving across the world to be stationed in Germany. It took a few years for me to get here, but it was by far worth the wait. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing and there’s no where else I’d rather be.
I’m not the person I was a year ago. I’ve been through so much, overcame battle after battle, pushed myself to new limits, learned more than I ever thought I would, met people who are now stationed all over the world, learned a lot about myself and others; and there’s only more blessings to come.
God sees so much more potential in me than I could ever see in myself; He leaves me in awe every single day. To think that He never gives up on me and never leaves my side, no matter how hard the time. That He has such a great plan in store for my life.
I’m thankful for the people I serve alongside with. I’m thankful to be serving our country overseas. Im thankful for my friends and family back home who are my constant backbone and support. I’m so thankful for this life, and where God and the Air Force has taken me.
1 year down, many more to come. ♥️💙🇺🇸🇩🇪
