Trust the Process

I had wanted to be a marine biologist since I was a young child. I never knew why, but I knew that I felt pulled to the ocean and towards caring for marine life. This semester as a sophomore, that feeling quickly changed. On an ordinary Monday, I realized I was being called by God to move in a different direction. I was having a conversation and briefly mentioned that I wish I could stay in Wilmington once I graduate, but there are not a lot of marine bio jobs here that I am interested in. From there, it was a sudden spiral of realizing that, maybe, marine biology is not what I am meant to be pursuing.  

The first thing I was drawn to when thinking about a change were thoughts of wanting to work in the foster care system. I have always loved children but never wanted to work with them every day in my career. That is how I knew this thought did not come from me but came from God. I was already overwhelmed with so many other thoughts that I really wanted to push this one out of my head. I did not want to have to think about anything else at the time. But it persisted. I called my mom to talk through what I was feeling, and she said something that has stuck with me ever since and I believe to be true.  

She said, “What if God gave you marine biology in order to get you to Wilmington, which is obviously where you are meant to be, and is now showing you what He is really calling you to pursue?”  

In the moment, I hated hearing that. I was in denial that it was even possible for me to change my major after picturing myself in that field for so long. Especially after years of hearing people tell me I would end up changing my major, I became wrapped up in the idea of defying the expectations of others. I wanted to prove them wrong so badly that I almost ignored what I was hearing from God.  

Once I opened myself up to what I was feeling, I knew where God was calling me to move. I will now be majoring in social work, and I feel more joy than I have felt in a long time. As soon as I signed up for an Introduction to Social Work and a Child Psychology Class, I felt exhilarated. I can see my future so much more clearly and I cannot wait to start learning about social work.  

I have always struggled with knowing when God is speaking to me. If I thought I heard him, I would overthink it and convince myself that it was not Him. It has been hard to trust that what is happening in my life is being worked for good. So, to be able to feel God’s overwhelming presence throughout the entirety of this decision is a feeling like no other. I feel much more joy and am genuinely more excited about life.  

Thinking back on the past two years, I can clearly see God’s footsteps in areas of my life leading to this moment. I unexpectedly decided to minor in Spanish this past summer, and that is such a good minor to have with a social work major. Since I started attending and interning at Port City, I have learned how to care for people so well and have gained a desire to learn more about how to walk through life with people. Each of these steps, and so many more, have been leading me towards my calling, and it is amazing to look back and see how it all played out.  

Natalie Watson

Natalie is currently a Production Intern and a part of the Learning Together team! She has served in many capacities over the past couple years including running cameras, lighting, CG and as a stage manager. Natalie loves being here with our team and often shows up unexpectedly just to be with everyone. Her kindness and her smile always brings a calming, welcoming tone to the rest of the team. – The Learning Together Team