I am really big on stories. I love the intricate detail; I love how no one story is the same. We all respond differently, perceive things differently, and more often than not, God is revealing Himself to us in only the ways He knows we will understand. This is the revelation I sit with today as I reflect on the last few days leading up to a pivotal moment, where I had the privilege of releasing my very first book titled Fruitful Tree.
This story actually started long before I knew I would become an author in 2026. It happened in the early morning in July 2022 when I packed up my belongings in my Elantra coupe and headed from Troy, Alabama to Austin, Texas. For the first time in my life, I had made an important decision, choosing what God had destined for me, because this is what I felt was the location to which I had been called. But I would be leaving alone, no friends, no family, no pets, just me and my two-door coupe, filled to the top with everything that could fit.
As I began the approximately 12-hour drive, I was confident this was not only the right choice but the best choice. The drive continued: 3 hours had passed, then 5. I stopped for a restroom break, filled up the tank, and got back on the road again. Then suddenly, this song from my childhood played on the radio. It was shocking to me because never in a million years would I expect to hear Gospel Quartet artist Lee Williams playing on the radio, a song I had not heard in a long time. Suddenly, the distance from where I was headed and who I was destined to be took me back to where the story truly began almost two decades ago in Yellow Bluff, Alabama.
I was that little girl at home on a Saturday morning, waking up to breakfast sausage, grits, and eggs, listening to Lee Williams. I often attribute that moment to God solidifying that He sees me and He was with me. In that moment, tears started drowning out the sound of the gravel on the road.
I remember the overwhelming joy I felt to know that I wasn’t alone, headed to a place that was unknown. Instead, my Father was right there beside me, steering my path like He has done since the beginning. The words suddenly came out of my mouth: “God, You’re going to do something big in Texas. I can feel it. I know it, and I am ready for the ride.”
At the time, I had so many thoughts running through my mind. What was a newly graduated girl doing, moving all the way to Texas to pursue a dream she didn’t quite even understand? Would I abandon everything I had known to chase after God in faith? What would I become if I failed at a mission I created for myself? All in all, I let these thoughts run, but not win, and I dried my eyes and kept going.
Finally, I arrived at my destination, stopping for Whataburger before heading to my temporary home in Austin, until I would soon leave for Houston shortly after.
I tell this story because it is true, and it is mine. Not all stories, as I said in the beginning, are the same. The details matter, the emotions, the purpose, and the destination may not always be the same for everyone. For me, I trusted that God had something planned, though He did not reveal that to me until three years later.
Today, I can proudly say I’ve witnessed Him do miraculous things, from being rebaptized and fully surrendering my life to releasing my first book in honor of my relationship with Him. He was working then and continues to work now in my life because I strapped in for the ride through trust and obedience. He didn’t need my sacrifice, but a willingness to allow Him to move, and He did.
