Friday was my last day on the job at ATSU. Taking a leap of faith is never easy. I’ve spent countless nights tossing and turning wondering if leaving a secure job to pursue my passion of photography was the right thing to do. I spent countless moments throughout the past year talking with God about this leap of faith. And throughout the year, God has been sending me little messages to validate my decision and encourage the leap.
One November day, Sheila Swafford, our pastor at Faith United Methodist Church, called me to set up a time to proof and order her images. I told her that the images were online and she could do that from the comfort of her home computer. But she wanted to proof and purchase in person. “I don’t have time to do this,” I thought to myself. I checked my calendar and told her I was booked all week except for Wednesday. “Great. I’ll see you on Wednesday,” she said.
Wednesday rolled around and my boss unexpectedly invited me and John to lunch. She wanted to discuss my departure date, but John and I hadn’t decided on a timeline yet. During this lunch meeting, negotiations to keep me on staff failed, and I was forced to make a decision I wasn’t ready to make. “So when’s your last day,” she said. My heart started racing. My palms became sweaty. “The end of January,” I blurted out. The words just came out of my mouth without even thinking. John looked over at me like I was crazy. “Oh God, oh God, oh God, what did I say?” I silently wondered. There was nothing I could do to take those words back now.
Later that evening, Pastor Sheila showed up at our house to proof her family session. After we picked her favorites and placed her order, I casually told her about the decision I had made. She looked at me square in the eyes and said, “You are going to be just fine.” Instantly the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, chills ran down my spine, and my eyes filled with tears. “He sent you here to tell me that,” I said. God knew I would need this validation today, and that’s why you had to proof in person. And that’s why Wednesday was open in my calendar! Right then and there I knew for sure my decision to be a professional photographer was blessed by the grace of God.
Once I believed the message heart and soul, nothing could change my mind. So, I began to share the good news with certain friends and family. Some of them would ask: “Are you sure? It’s a tough economy? What are you going to do about health insurance? What if your clients don’t have money to spend on portraits? Do you have a studio yet?” Well, all of those questions, rational and reasonable to ask, often brought doubt in my mind because those questions were rooted in fear. Fear of failing. Fear of the unknown. But, I was not going to live my life in fear, and I certainly wasn’t willing to play the “what if” game. Nevertheless, those fear-based questions brought little negative thoughts into my head and sometimes made me question my talent and my decision. But the doubt only lasted a few moments. Somehow, God had another little message that brought me back to the positive aspects of being a photographer, either through a positive email from a client or a heartfelt message on our answering machine.
I share this story to be an inspiration to all of those who are facing a tough decision. If you take the leap, God will hold your hand. I am a walking, talking testament that if you get rid of the negative thoughts in your head, you will hear and see God’s message for your life.
Thanks again to all our clients who have so graciously allowed me to be a part of their family. And thank you God for using little stones to get my attention instead of having me hit a brick wall.
Hector Contreras
www.studio1004.net
