From the Valley to the Pulpit: My Journey to Preaching My First Sermon
When I stepped up to the pulpit to deliver my first sermon, it was more than just a moment on the calendar. It was the culmination of years of God’s faithfulness, quiet preparation, and a lifetime of experiences that led me to this point. It was the revelation in my life “for such a time as this.'“
The Call I Didn’t Expect
I never set out to become a preacher. I wasn’t raised in church and didn’t accept Christ until I was 19 years old. When I did, I thought that was it. I was simply grateful to be “in the number,” as the old folk would say.
My calling was shaped through valleys I would never have chosen and mountaintop moments I didn’t see coming. I remember being around the age of 7, sitting in my room at my foster mother’s home, crying and asking — though I didn’t know to whom — why my life was the way it was and what I had done to deserve it. I distinctly remember the sensation of being scooped up and held, and I heard a voice say to me, You are going through this so that you can help others. I carried that word in my heart for years.
In January 2011, my 5-month-old daughter, Desirae, passed away from SIDS. Her loss marked the darkest season of my life. I wasn’t asking for purpose then — I was just trying to breathe. But even in my grief, God was calling me. He didn’t ask me to forget or “move on.” He asked me to move forward. And as I did, He wove healing, resilience, and ministry into my life in ways I could never have imagined.
Years of Quiet Preparation
I knew for sure I was meant to be a pastor in 2017, but God distinctly told me not to move forward with that information… yet. For years, I served in my church behind the scenes, taught, encouraged, and poured into others without ever stepping into the pulpit.
My role as a trauma-informed Christian life coach has given me the privilege of walking with people through some of the most challenging seasons of their lives. All the while, God was preparing me — shaping my voice, deepening my understanding of His Word, and showing me how my story could serve His people.
I waited patiently, allowing God to prune and tend to me until 2022, when He gave me permission to approach my pastor with my calling. I continued to serve while gleaning and learning from his leadership.
On July 20, 2025, the opportunity came to preach my first sermon. I knew it was God’s timing. It was both humbling and exhilarating. I chose 1 Samuel 3 as my passage — the story of young Samuel hearing God’s voice for the first time. Just like Samuel, I had to learn to recognize God’s call and respond, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”
The Message God Gave Me
My sermon, Called By Name, focused on three things:
Position Yourself to Hear God — making intentional space to listen to Him in prayer, worship, and stillness.
Pay Attention to How God Is Speaking Through Your Life — seeing His hand in every chapter, even in pain.
Respond When He Calls — stepping out in faith, even when you feel unqualified.
I wove my personal testimony into each point — the foster care experiences, the grief, the healing, and the moments when God’s voice cut through the noise of my circumstances. My prayer was that anyone listening would leave knowing that their story, too, can be used for God’s glory.
You can watch the sermon here: https://www.youtube.com/live/2V0kdtRt_Dk?feature=shared&t=1631
God’s Faithfulness in Every Step
Preaching that first sermon was a milestone, but it was also a reminder: God wastes nothing. Every trial, every triumph, and every quiet moment of surrender becomes part of the ministry He builds in and through us.
Today, with my official license to preach the Gospel in hand, I feel more committed than ever to using my story to help others heal, grow, and walk boldly in their God-given purpose.
If you are reading this and wondering if God can use your story, the answer is yes. You are not disqualified by your pain. You are being prepared by it.
“The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:24
