By Mercy Enemuo
The past few months of being a Fellow have truly been a blessing. As I reflect, I can clearly see how good God has been to me. I had envisioned my life after college being fully put together by April of this past year. I had plans, timelines, and expectations. But things didn’t go according to plan largely because of factors completely outside my control.
At one point, I wasn’t even sure attending the spring 2025 career fair at my university would make a difference. I had attended several career fairs before with little to show for it. I felt tired and discouraged. But a friend encouraged me to try one last time. That decision changed everything.
It was there I met Mrs. Theresa, someone who has truly been an answered prayer in my life. I now have a new family here at Saint Francis in the Fields. Looking back, I can say, thanks be to God. What felt like a delay or disappointment was actually a re-direction filled with purpose, support, and growth.
As I continue this journey as a Fellow, there is one important lesson I’ve learned so far. This lesson I believe may encourage someone else who is waiting, trusting, or wondering if their effort still matters.
In our Old Testament class, as we walked through the journey and relationships of the Israelites with God, I found myself deeply moved. Each reading revealed more of God’s character and the Israelites’ attitudes and responses toward God—how they disobeyed Him, turned aside to worship idols, and repeatedly did what was wicked in His sight. One verse that especially stood out to me was from Deuteronomy 6:6–7: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road.”
Time after time, the Israelites did the opposite of what God asked. As I reflected on this, I felt the weight of God’s pain—like a loving parent watching their child continually choose a harmful path. Yet, despite their repeated disobedience, God remained faithful. He stayed committed to His people, and because of that faithfulness, Jesus was sent. Today, we have access to a real and living relationship with the Father because God never gave up on His plan or His people.
Cai, our Old Testament Overview professor, made a point in class that has stayed with me, and the more I meditate on it, the more humbled I become. Like the Israelites, my flesh can get in the way of God’s plan. The difference, however, is that through Jesus’ sacrifice, I now have the Holy Spirit living in me, who is able to change my heart. Scripture speaks to this so clearly: “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts… so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 30:6). Another verse that echoes this promise is Ezekiel 36:26, where God says He will give us a new heart and put a new spirit within us. This is what helps me achieve what most of the Israelites couldn’t achieve.
This has become one of my constant prayers—that God would shape the condition of my heart and transform me to become more like Jesus. And I’ve learned that when we pray this sincerely, transformation truly happens. My invitation to you is simple: pray this prayer with me. If you are waiting, trusting, or wondering whether your effort still matters, know this—God is faithful, and He is still working, even when the process feels slow. A changed heart is able to love Jesus more. This move brings us into the Romans 8:28 place where we can be sure that all things work together for our good because we’re people who love the Lord and He loves us much more than we think. Let’s rest in our belovedness.