Faithfulness Over Qualifications

Before I write another word, I need you to know that I understand no one likes a braggard. I certainly don’t. I hear that little voice in my head warning me not to list accomplishments, not to draw attention to numbers, not to talk about success. And yet, I also know that I cannot fully share what God has done without naming the very things that make no sense apart from Him.

So here it goes.

When the Story Doesn’t Match the Resume

In three very different seasons of my life, beyond the years I spent at home raising my girls, God has allowed me to step into work that stretched me far beyond what I believed I was capable of. After a career in fundraising, I founded an English as a Second Language program that served 126 students from 35 different countries with the help of 78 volunteers. Then, in 2020, I began what I never would have predicted as a third calling: writing my first novel, Desire of My Heart.

That book has reached readers in ways I still struggle to wrap my mind around. Thousands of copies sold. Readers I will never meet from around the world. Messages from people whose lives were touched by a story I once doubted I could even finish. Awards and rankings that feel surreal when I type them out.

And yet, none of that tells the whole story.

The Parts That Don’t Fit the Narrative

To understand why this matters to me, you need to know what came before. I struggled through high school and college, eventually finishing my degree through an adult education program with a degree that had nothing to do with the work I would later do. Math was my weakest subject, with English following close behind. I did not grow up loving books. I didn’t even start reading novels until after college.

I am easily distracted. My attention wanders. I forget details that seem important, like dates or character eye colors. I am technically challenged in ways that feel almost impressive at times. And I am legally blind.

None of those things make for a strong résumé in a calling that requires precision, stamina, focus, creativity, and an eye for detail.

And yet, this is where God placed me.

Obedience Before Confidence

There are moments when following God feels like learning to use a white cane while blindfolded, stepping carefully through a space where you know obstacles are everywhere even if you cannot see them. It is uncomfortable. It is humbling. It requires trust at a level that strips away self-reliance.

What I have learned is this: God does not wait for us to feel qualified. He waits for us to be willing.

God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the faithful.

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Scripture has always been honest about this truth. Paul reminds us, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). That verse is not an insult. It is an invitation. God delights in doing work that can only be explained by His presence.

Faithfulness Is Not Flashy, But It Is Powerful

I am not more trained, more capable, or more determined than others who have tried and struggled. What I am is faithful. I keep moving forward, even when the path feels frightening or unclear. I show up again after setbacks. I obey even when obedience feels costly or confusing.

That steadiness was modeled for me long before I understood it, by a father who lived faithfulness out loud and passed it on without ever calling attention to it.

And in that faithfulness, God has given me a sense of purpose I never would have discovered on my own.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” — 2 Corinthians 12:9

This is not about achievement. It is about obedience. It is about trusting that God equips the called rather than calling the equipped. It is about believing that faithfulness, practiced over time, opens doors we could never force open ourselves.

A Quiet Encouragement

If you are looking at your own life and wondering why God would choose you, I hope this encourages you. Your limitations do not disqualify you. Your weaknesses do not surprise Him. Your obedience matters more than your confidence ever could.

God does not ask us to be spectacular. He asks us to be faithful.

And He has a way of doing remarkable things with that.

Closing Reflection

If God is nudging you toward something that feels beyond your ability, take the next faithful step. You may discover, as I did, that obedience reveals a purpose you never would have found otherwise.