Directing My Path

By Jordan Loa

June 2013 was easily the toughest time in my life. Never before had I felt so lost, confused, isolated, and alone.

I was engaged, with a 2014 wedding date, to the woman I’ve been with for four years. Suddenly, though, I began having feelings of doubt and uncertainty about the upcoming nuptials, and my whole life fell apart around me. I felt strongly convicted that I needed to call it off, and we went our separate ways in early June.

All Alone

I remember asking myself, “How did I get here? What’s going on?” I felt hopeless and scared. I had moved to Dallas after college to be with her, so I had no family or close friends nearby. I’d never truly lived on my own before, and now I was completely alone.

I’d grown up in the church, been baptized, and even confirmed. I knew of God, but I didn’t know God. I quickly realized two things: one, merely going to church doesn’t save you. I mean, it’s a definite step in the right direction, but in order to be saved you must trust in Jesus’ work on the cross and submit your whole life to Him. Two, that the answers to the questions I had been asking myself could only come from God, and that it was time to truly reawaken the faith that had been dormant inside me for so long.

Drawing Near

During those weeks in June, my dad said something to me I’ll never forget, something I hold very dear to my heart: “Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. You’re listening and your life will begin to change.” So with these words in mind, I began my journey by simply reading my Bible, which had been given to me by my parents for my confirmation day in 2001. Honestly, that Bible never got a lot of use and it was sort of dusty.

When I made the decision to read God’s Word and seek His counsel, He started doing incredible things in my life, little by little. He caused me to cross paths with Christian coworkers, people whom I had never known were believers. They strengthened my faith and listened and encouraged me to walk with God.

Life Together

One of them encouraged me to attend The Porch here at Watermark Community Church. I wrestled with that idea. The idea of going to such a huge church was daunting. However, I went, and God started talking to me instantly. The topic those first two weeks was “Life Together,” and I learned that we were never meant to walk through life alone (Proverbs 18:1 and Proverbs 27:17).

After my first time at The Porch, God placed a Porch volunteer in my path, Ben Caldwell. He prayed with me and encouraged me to have a deeper relationship with God, and to get plugged in at Watermark. So I kept going to The Porch, all the while being directed by God, walking through the doors He opened and listening to the people He placed in my path. I went to an open community group, where I met a lot of guys who were going through similar struggles.

God hasn’t stopped working in my life. I wanted to draw nearer to Him, and God gave me the courage to attend a class at Watermark about making the most out of our quiet time with God, giving me the tools I wanted and needed to strengthen my relationship with Him. He then guided me to sign up for GroupLink, to become part of a community of God-fearing men my age who will lift me up and hold me accountable as we strive to live more fully for Christ. That’s something I would have never done before I asked God to take control of my life and guide me on the path He wants me to take.

Not Alone

God has calmed the raging seas, and has taken away my anxieties (1 Peter 5:7). I now have a smile I’ve never shown before. My message to you is this: you’re not alone (Joshua 1:9). Don’t turn away from God; run to Him. He loves you and will do awesome things in your life. Don’t be afraid to find shelter in Him. Seek out a community, step out of your boat, and He will begin to work wonders in your life.