When the Plan Falls Apart: Finding My Way Back to What I Love

The Beginning

I majored in Communication because I have always been drawn to people and the stories we share. I wanted to understand how connection works, how words can inspire, comfort, or shift perspective. Writing has always been my way of processing the world. I started writing poetry in grade school, and one of my poems was published in a book when I was in high school.

Even back then, I knew words were my home.

In college, I imagined a career where creativity and communication would meet. During my internship in music marketing, I saw that possibility come to life. I witnessed how strategy, storytelling, and emotion could work together to move people. It was exciting and meaningful, and I thought I had found my direction.

But after graduation, the job market was terrible. Every no and unanswered email started to weigh on me. I prayed for something that would open a door, even a small one. Eventually, I stopped being picky. I needed stability, so I took the first job that came my way.

That is how I ended up at a call center.

There were days I wondered if this was really where my degree had led me.

The Call Center Days

My first full-time job was spent answering phones for contractors, plumbers, and homeowners. Most of them were frustrated or upset, and I became the person they took it out on. I learned to stay calm while being yelled at and to sound professional even when my patience was gone.

There were days when I would hang up the phone, take a deep breath, and whisper, “God, please help me get through this day.”

It was not glamorous, and it definitely was not fulfilling. I would come home mentally exhausted and question what I was doing with my life. I felt like I had worked so hard for a degree that led nowhere.

So when another job offer came along, I accepted it without hesitation. I did not stop to think about whether it aligned with what I wanted. I just knew it was not the call center. Looking back, I believe God used that moment to redirect me, even if it did not feel like it at the time. That decision opened the door to a new chapter that would last more than a decade.

For over ten years, this became my world.

A Decade in Legal

My new job was in the legal field. When I started, I told myself it was temporary, a stepping stone until I could get back to something creative. But one year turned into three, and three turned into more than ten.

Legal work taught me a lot. I learned discipline, attention to detail, and how to communicate clearly and professionally. I learned how to handle pressure, navigate conflict, and show up even when I was tired.

But over the years, I started to lose a sense of who I was. The work paid the bills, but it slowly drained the joy out of me. The pace, the pressure, and the constant seriousness of it all left little room for creativity. I missed the version of myself who dreamed big and loved writing.

For a short time, I stepped away from legal and took a detour into data analytics. I wanted to try something new that still used my analytical side but felt different. I enjoyed finding meaning in numbers, but that season was short. Before long, I was back in legal.

At that point, I told myself to be grateful and stay practical. But deep down, I knew I had settled into comfort, not calling.

When Everything Changed

Then, a month ago, everything stopped.

I lost my job after more than ten years in the field. It was sudden and painful. After spending so long being the dependable one, it felt strange to be without structure or a title. The silence after the busyness was unsettling.

At first, I panicked. Then I cried. Then, in the quiet, I began to pray.

I asked God what He wanted me to do next. And the truth that came to mind was not loud. It was gentle. I remembered the person I used to be before the burnout, before the titles, before the fear of starting over. The girl who loved words, who believed in storytelling, who found beauty in creativity.

That part of me had been buried, but it was not gone. God was simply bringing it back to life.

In the quiet, I began to pray again and remember who I was.

The Hard Part of Starting Over

Now, I am working toward a new path in digital marketing. It feels like a full-circle moment. It is the field that brings together everything I love: communication, writing, creativity, and connection.

But starting over is hard.

I am not a recent graduate. I do not have a long list of marketing credentials. I scroll through job listings and see requirements I do not meet. And when I apply anyway, I am often met with silence.

It is easy to feel unseen and overlooked. There are days I question my worth. Days when I wonder if maybe I missed my moment.

But when those thoughts come, I remind myself that God is not limited by time, age, or job titles. He does not care how long it has been or how far I have wandered. He can restore what feels lost and breathe life into what feels finished.

I do not have to have it all figured out. I just have to keep walking in faith.

What Faith Reminds Me

My faith has taught me that God wastes nothing. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

I have carried that verse in my heart for years, but it feels especially true now.

All things, even the detours, the dead ends, and the jobs that drained me, have shaped me.

My years in legal were not a mistake. They gave me endurance, discipline, and patience. They taught me how to handle pressure, how to communicate with clarity, and how to keep going when things got hard. Those lessons were preparation, not punishment.

Now, when I look back, I see God’s hand in every season, even the ones that felt like failure.

Finding My Way Back to Joy

Being unemployed has been humbling, but it has also been revealing. For the first time in a long time, the noise is gone, and I can hear God more clearly. I am beginning to rediscover the part of myself that was created for connection, creativity, and storytelling.

I write again. I learn. I pray. I take small steps forward, even when I do not feel confident.

Each word feels like a small act of faith, one step forward at a time.

Digital marketing feels like the right direction, not because it is easy, but because it combines everything I love: words, meaning, communication, and human connection. It allows me to create, to build, and to reach people in ways that matter.

There are still hard days. There are still tears and moments of doubt. But I have learned that faith is not about knowing what happens next. It is about trusting the One who does.

God has carried me through every season before this one. He will carry me through this, too.

Maybe the plan did not fall apart after all.
Maybe God is just rebuilding it His way.

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” — Exodus 14:14

To Anyone Who Feels Stuck

If you are in a season of waiting, loss, or starting over, I want you to know you are not alone. It can be hard to see God’s hand in the middle of confusion and uncertainty, but He is there. Even in silence, He is working. Even in the unknown, He is preparing you.

The path you thought was permanent might have just been a chapter. The dream you buried might still be alive.

Keep going. Keep praying. Keep trusting that God’s plan is bigger and better than anything you could build on your own. He is not finished with your story. And neither are you.

Maybe the plan didn’t fall apart. Maybe God is rebuilding it His way.