“Who is James?” Those were the unexpected words that interrupted a prayer session I was having over the phone with Silas.
We had been praying for only a few minutes when he suddenly paused and asked the question. I searched my mind but could not think of anyone important by that name. We continued praying and concluded the session, but before hanging up, he told me that the name appeared repeatedly during prayer and encouraged me to find out who James was.
At the time, I had no answer. After the session, I began scrolling through my phone contacts. Then I found him.
James.
Instantly, I remembered. Months earlier, a friend had shared his contact with me after he mentioned a possible job opportunity at his workplace. Like many leads that never seem to materialize when one is searching for employment, I had forgotten about him completely.
I immediately informed Silas that I had remembered who James was. His advice was simple: “Call him.” I did.
To my surprise, James asked me to send my documents immediately. Shortly thereafter, he offered me a part-time opportunity. Within a month, I had reported to work. Three months later, what began as a small opening developed into a full-time position, bringing with it other professional opportunities and growth within and beyond the organization.
Three years earlier, I had voluntarily resigned from my previous position to pursue a short term fellowship position. I was convinced that new opportunities would soon emerge and allow me to progress in my career. Although many people advised me against leaving, I remained confident in my decision. What followed, however, was not what I had anticipated.
For nearly two years, I pursued one opportunity after another. I attended promising interviews and came painfully close to success on several occasions, only to miss out each time. Some opportunities slipped away by the narrowest of margins. As months turned into years, financial pressures mounted, frustration grew, and uncertainty about the future became increasingly difficult to ignore.
Throughout that period, I did what I knew best: I applied, networked, planned, and persevered. Yet despite my efforts, little seemed to change. Looking back now, I realize that God was gently teaching me the difference between trusting my own plans and trusting Him. After exhausting nearly every strategy I could think of, I found myself confronting my own limitations and learning to surrender what I could no longer control.
It was during this season that a close relative introduced me to Silas of Abba’s Heart World Ministries after sharing a personal testimony of answered prayer. Even then, connecting with him proved difficult. Calls were missed, appointments failed, and several attempts led nowhere. More than once, I considered giving up. Yet something urged me to keep trying until, eventually, we connected and prayed together.
I have listed to sermons on Divine Providence explain the belief that God continues to guide our lives even when His presence is hidden from view. I had always accepted this teaching, but largely as a matter of faith and understanding. This experience allowed me to encounter it in a personal way.
What strikes me most is the simplicity of how God worked. There was no dramatic vision, no extraordinary sign, no price for it and no complicated instruction. There was only a name. A forgotten contact. A phone call. And an opportunity that changed the direction of my life.
The experience brought to mind the words of Scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). For two years, I had focused on finding new opportunities, never imagining that the answer would come through a connection that already existed but had slipped from my memory. God knew where the answer was long before I did.
This experience also humbled me. Coming from a background in medical education, I am accustomed to evidence, planning, and human effort. While I have always considered myself a believer, I had never experienced such a clear and personal intervention in my own circumstances. The encounter left me with a renewed sense of awe at God’s power and a deeper appreciation of His ability to work through ordinary people and seemingly insignificant details.
As the adage goes, “No matter how long the night, the dawn will break,” for me, that dawn came through a simple prayer and a reminder that God remains present even when He seems silent.
Today, I am grateful for the career opportunities that followed, but the greatest gift was the realization that God had never abandoned me during those difficult years. Even when nothing appeared to be happening, He was already preparing the way. What I experienced as delay, He used to teach trust. What I saw as closed doors, He used to deepen my faith.
The job was a blessing, but the deeper blessing was discovering that God’s providence is real, personal, and active in our lives. He sees what we overlook, remembers what we forget, and opens doors in ways we could never have planned for ourselves.
Career opportunities may be elusive.
But God is not.
To Him be all the glory.