“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light …”(Ephesians 5:8)
By Sandra Vidrio
Throughout my life, I have lived through many first-generation experiences. Being the first in my household to learn English meant I became my parent’s personal translator. Being firstborn meant I took on additional responsibilities to support my younger siblings. Being the first to attend college and enter the professional workforce meant I was one step closer to success to pay back the sacrifice of my parents for coming to the United States.
The more I overcame cultural, academic, and social challenges, the more I disconnected from God, and my attention grew to modern-day idolatry, especially during my early 20s.
In my fall semester of 2015, I was determined to graduate with my marketing capstone class. I took 16 upper-division units and worked a 35-hour, full-time job at a nonprofit organization. One wrong decision led to failing my finance class and caused me to return for one more semester of school. This was not part of my perfect plan; I felt like my world was collapsing, and I was unprepared for the low self-esteem season I would embark on.
Without realizing it, I was slowly entering a dark time of my life. It wasn’t until 2017 that another major life setback made me accept the invitation to learn more about WorkLight (Christians In Commerce). I steadily built a new relationship with God and became fascinated by learning more about the fruit of the Spirit. My journey to embrace my failures and practice self-forgiveness took a bit longer, but what has made the difference is taking accountability, learning from my failures, and trusting in God’s plan.
Pray
Lord, give me the strength to make amends for my past mistakes and continue walking the path you have created.
Reflect
Consider a time when you experienced complete darkness after a personal or professional failure.
Discuss
How did God speak to you during a difficult time to learn and grow as a person?
Sandra Vidrio is a workforce professional who is passionate about empowering others to pursue their career goals. She has been an active Fresno Women’s WorkLight Chapter member since 2017.