The Summer That Changed Everything: A Personal Story of Surrender, Provision, and Transformation

I’m not being dramatic. Everything changed during my Summer of Transformation. 

This blog post isn’t about business strategy or website tips. It’s about what happens when you let go of control, lean into trust, and watch God do what only He can do.

Why I Got Off Instagram on My 33rd Birthday

On May 23 (my 33rd birthday) I got off Instagram.
Not forever, but intentionally.

After years of hustling to make it work, I realized Instagram wasn’t bringing in clients. More than that, it was draining me emotionally and mentally. I was showing up out of obligation, and the scroll was making me a worse mom. I needed a reset.

I had no idea that would be the start of something so much bigger.

The Unexpected Offer That Sparked Everything

In early June, a Christian life coach reached out about exchanging services. I’ve always valued my work as a web designer, so I’ve rarely traded services. But at that moment? I was desperate to create again. So I said yes.

SEE THE SITE: A Bold, Faith-Filled Squarespace Website for a Christian Life Coach

That “yes” changed the trajectory of my entire summer.

Our coaching began with untangling a deeply rooted poverty mindset. One that said I had to hustle and scrape and strive just to survive. Through our work together, I started asking bigger questions:

What if God actually wants what’s best for me and my family? What if He’s not holding out on us, but inviting us into abundance?

When Everything Got Uncertain

On July 3, it became clear: we needed to leave Spokane.
We had no plan, no next step, and a lot of anxiety.

My husband gently asked if I’d consider looking for a job.
That hit hard. After 7 years of building my business, this past year had been the hardest yet. Still, I agreed to start looking.

READ MORE: Year 7 Has Been the Hardest: A Personal Look into Entrepreneurship as a Mom of Toddlers

I searched for Squarespace and Showit jobs on Indeed and LinkedIn. There was very little. And when I brought it to God in prayer, the answer I kept hearing was:

“Chill. Wait. I’ve got you.”

Some days I listened.
Other days, I panicked and applied to jobs anyway.
At my worst, I was operating from fear.
At my best, I was learning to surrender.

Trusting When I Wanted to Strive

This season challenged everything in me, especially my identity as a doer. I’m someone who takes action, pushes through, gets things done.

But this time, God asked me not to do, but to trust.

From my journal on July 28:

“Maybe the greatest discomfort in this season is that God is asking me not to do, but to trust. To watch Him do.”

So I waited. I prayed. I kept showing up in the small ways.
I asked God to shift my mindset:

“Turn my neediness into confidence.
My complaining into rejoicing.
My panic into peace.
My scarcity into abundance.”

And I started to believe for more, even if I couldn’t see it yet.

The Miracle Moment I Logged Back Into Instagram

In mid-August, I logged into a new Instagram page I had set up to post graphics for the Black Friday Summit I was co-hosting.

I looked at one Instagram story.
It happened to be from a past mastermind leader… who was looking for a Showit designer for her agency ASAP.

Within 24 hours, I had the job.

That connection led to an honest, ongoing conversation about the future of Rebekah Read Creative and where this business might be going next. (Spoiler: I still don’t know, but I’m open.)

Then Came My Husband’s Dream Job

Just one week later, my husband got his dream job.
At a D1 university.
In Des Moines, Iowa.
Where his family lives.

A miracle.
And not just for him, for our whole family.

The video we sent to family announcing our move!

How God Showed Up This Summer

Here are just a few of the ways I saw God’s hand in all of this:

  • Through Christian life coaching with April Snook, who encouraged me to reframe everything—especially seeing our time at the cabins as a divine retreat, not just an in-between.
  • Psalm 112:5–7 kept showing up “randomly” and became an anchor of truth for me.
  • Years ago, I had a sense that Spokane wouldn’t be our forever home. Even when we were actively house hunting, every door closed and now I see why.
  • My business having the worst year in 7 years was one of the reasons I agreed to do an exchange of services with April and a reason we didn’t buy a house closer to my husband’s work this past year.
  • Not landing a full client load this year felt like failure. But now, I see it was protection.

Moving to Des Moines (With Toddlers in Tow)

Last week, my husband left for Iowa.
I’ve stayed back to pack with two toddlers and the help of amazing friends and family who flew in to support me.

I’ve been super overwhelmed.
I’ve praised.
And through it all, I’ve watched God show up again and again.

As April said during one of our sessions:

“Faith is gratitude for what you haven’t received yet. Cultivating that faith is what helps you receive what God has for you next.”

Final Reflections: What This Summer Taught Me

I hope I never forget this miracle summer.

It taught me that:

  • Stillness sharpens your senses to God’s presence.
  • Every hard situation is an opportunity to either reinforce the lie of scarcity or enforce the truth that God is good, near, and generous.
  • He does what He says He’ll do. Every. Single. Time.

Journal entry from 8/8/25: “I hope to never get over this MIRACLE. All of this was a blessing in disguise. All my fears (we won’t have a future we will enjoy, we’ll be scavenging forever, etc.) were turned around and HE DID WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO (don’t you think I can do abundantly more than you can think or imagine?)”

If you’re in a season of uncertainty, I want to encourage you:

Keep trusting. Keep listening. Let Him work.
The other side might just be more than you imagined.

I’ve got messy hair and a thirsty heart. 

I overshare my life, and have an ultra-expressive personality. Some words people use to describe me are: helpful, real, fun, creative, authentic, and kind.

Elphaba from Wicked is kind of my alter-ego (I was a fan LONG before the movie-adaptation - anyone else?!). I am always trying to forge my own path and make a difference in the World, somehow, someway, while also constantly criticizing myself and trying to become the better version of me.

Quality conversations + coffee come easy to me. 

I’ve never had an issue connecting naturally with others (probs because I can go on and on about my life story, not that it is interesting, I just process externally...) 

I find so much joy in helping and serving others and I give myself fully to whatever it is that engages me, whether that is running a 50k or creating a website in a day.

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