Welcome to Hustle in Faith. This podcast is dedicated to helping you find your trail to a happier healthier you by discussing topics regarding Christianity, health & wellness, beauty & so much more! I’m your host Tosha Johnson.
Episode 145 How will life’s detours help build your legacy?
Anchor Season 4: Episode 15
I’m recording this episode the day before my birthday. So by the time you hear this episode, I will be 39 years old. It’s so crazy to think how close I am to 40. As I do every year, I took a vacation. More like a staycation but it’s all good because I have a ton of projects that I’m working on right now. I’m trying really hard to position my second act in life to be the most impactful. This year I did something that I never thought I would ever do…God blessed me with the ability to buy a home. It’s perfect for me. I never wanted a house. I always wanted a condo on the lakefront with a balcony and I finally achieved that dream at 38 years old.
Now although this is my dream home, that did not come with dream neighbors. I’m living in a building filled with Ken and Karen demons who just still can’t get over that I’m living here as well. God has given my mom and me both the patience, strength, and resources we need to fight back. I kid you not, this situation I’m fighting against right now is like a made-for-TV movie. That’s an episode for another day, so stay tuned for that one.
Anyway, I know for a fact that I never would have gotten my dream home if I didn’t embrace the detours that life has thrown my way. I’m a fairly private person, so I’m not really big on sharing all my business. However, I want to share various aspects of it today, because I truly hope it will inspire others to keep going. It’s through the grace of God, my Christian upbringing, and my mom that I’m able to really enjoy where I am in my life. When I think about my life, I truly view it in seasons.
Winter: Winter is that period in my life where nothing seems to be happening. It feels like all my dreams have either died or been deferred.
Spring: Spring is when I see a little glimmer of hope and my dreams are trying their best to grow through some tough soil.
Summer: Summer is when I can finally see all my dreams coming true. I’m not just surviving, I’m thriving.
Fall: Then the fall in my life is when I start to feel restless or come against more obstacles than normal but can’t quite pinpoint the reason why.
Now that I’m older, I know that each season plays a special role in my life. The degree in how much success I can expect to enjoy depends on my attitude and approach to how I decide to handle each season. You don’t reach the top of a mountain without going through a valley first.
Right now, with the exception of these crazy neighbors, trust that is getting resolved as we speak, I can truly say I’m enjoying my summer season in life. I feel like I’m enjoying it much more than the average person would because of what I had to endure during my winter and fall seasons.
About 5 years ago, I was laid off from my job that I was at for almost 6 years. I went through all of my savings which wasn’t much y’all because I don’t come from a wealthy family. My unemployment ran out, which caused me to lose my apartment. Thank God for my side hustle jobs because I literally had just enough money to move my stuff into storage. I went to live with a relative for two 2 ½ months. I have never prayed so hard before in my life to find a job! Honestly, that’s when I started this podcast because I didn’t want my down period in life to be in vain. Plus, little did I know that this podcast was a reminder to me to keep going while simultaneously building a legacy.
Anyway, I found a job one month into living with the relative, but I had to have 2 paychecks before I was able to move into the apartment. The apartment that I moved into was a 400-square-foot studio apartment that had just enough room for my storage stuff. Like I knew that this place was a pitstop. A pitstop that ended up being two years, but I knew I wasn’t about to make this place home, so I didn’t bother buying furniture. For two years, I slept on a little pallet, but you know what? Every time I wanted to complain, I would catch myself because I knew that things could be worse. This was MY place. I may not have the money and prestige, but I’ve got my peace of mind. That studio apartment brought me to a whole new level of gratefulness.
I ended up losing that job but found another one and that’s when things started to really take off. I ended up renting a beautiful condo that allowed my mom and I to have some space. It was really a miracle that we were able to move because this was during the height of the pandemic. During this time, God really was blessing me with my side hustles. I paid off my car a long time ago. My car still runs but I knew that I would need another one soon. I thought I was saving for one thing, but God really had me saving for something that I never thought was an option…my own home.
We’ll get into my reluctance to even dream about buying my own home in another episode, but God was leading me to this moment. However, it was up to me to decide whether I wanted to take the shot. I encountered some shady folks along the way that were supposed to be working for me but I later discovered were attempting to steal from me, as Romans 8:28 says, God causes all things to work together for those who love the Lord. He kept me from falling into their trap.
Every adverse circumstance is why I’m able to write this episode from my balcony overlooking Lake Michigan. I don’t share this as a flex, but to encourage those who are going through their winter season in life to keep going until you reach your goal. The greatest definition of success that I have embraced to get me through the tough times was to accomplish the purpose God put me on this earth to do in the timeframe He’s has given me. Just because you’re down today doesn’t mean you have to stay there. Every major milestone that I’ve ever achieved was preceded by a detour. Detours will challenge you but you have to keep going.
The longer the detour, the bigger the obstacle that’s strategically been placed between me and my dream.
Every detour that I have encountered —good and bad—has played a major role in my quest to build a legacy. But before God could position me to build a legacy that would count, He needed to ensure that I had the ability to handle the gifts he wanted me to have. Every detour God has led me through has taught me patience (one I still struggle with) and confidence, but most importantly that I can depend on Him as my Source.
The One thing God has really shown me over the past several years is that I need to dream bigger. With that said, I’ve got some REALLY big dreams planned for my second act. I know that I will achieve them but not without detours. At least now I know when I encounter a detour that the obstacle standing in front of me is only temporary if I choose to put God first and let Him guide me in how I can get to the other side.
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