When a 30-Minute Move Feels Like a 3,000-Mile Leap: Trusting God in Career Transitions

Sometimes a change that seems small on the map feels huge in our heart. Have you ever had an opportunity or calling that only required a “30-minute move” – maybe a new job just one town over – but it felt like a 3,000-mile leap of faith? Whether it’s a big life decision or a subtle shift, any career transition can trigger fear of the unknown. I want to speak especially to that today. Stepping into a new role or a new city (even if it’s not far) can be scary. But it can also be an incredible adventure of learning to trust God more deeply.

Let me share about my friend, Alyx. Recently on the podcast, Alyx shared her personal story of learning to lean on God when life didn’t go as she planned. In her late twenties, she sensed God leading her to take a new job that was just a half-hour away from her hometown. On paper, it wasn’t a massive relocation – just a quick drive down the highway. But in her heart, it felt like leaving everything familiar. She was moving out of a comfortable position, away from coworkers who were like family, into a role where the expectations (and her self-doubts) loomed large. In her words, “a thirty-minute move felt like a cross-country trek.”

Alyx confessed to me that the weeks leading up to the transition were filled with anxiety. “What if I fail? What if I heard God wrong? What if I end up unhappy?” So many what-ifs! She wrestled with the fear of uncertainty every single day. Maybe you can relate if you’ve ever changed careers or started a new chapter in life. It’s that unsettling mix of excitement and sheer terror. For Alyx, the hardest part was giving up control and trusting that God really had a plan in this move. She liked having her five-year plan neatly laid out, and now God was rewriting it – that was hard.

But here’s what I love about Alyx’s story: she didn’t let fear have the final say. She chose to obey God’s prompting, even though she felt shaky. On her last day at the old job, as she packed up her desk, she paused and prayed, “God, I’m stepping out with You. I choose faith over fear.” Then she literally took a deep breath and walked out the door toward the new adventure. It was a simple act, but profoundly symbolic – kind of like Peter stepping out of the boat (more on him later!). She was releasing control and walking in faith, one step at a time.

Fast forward a few months: How did it turn out for her? Well, the transition wasn’t without challenges – the first week at the new job, she felt lonely at lunch and wondered if she’d made a mistake. But she kept praying through the uncertainty. She plastered an encouraging Bible verse on her car dashboard (“Be strong and courageous... God is with you wherever you go” – Joshua 1:9) and repeated it during her commute. She reached out to new coworkers and found one of them was also a Christian who became a close friend. Little by little, she saw signs that God had indeed gone before her. In fact, an unexpected blessing came: that new role opened doors for Alyx to use her gifts in ways she never could have in her old job. God knew what He was doing all along! Her confidence grew as she realized the same God who called her to take that leap was sustaining her after the leap.

As I listened to Alyx, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own life. I remember a time I had my career path all figured out – or so I thought. (Me, a planner? Never! 😉) In my case, I was deeply invested in my work in childbirth education and even heading to midwifery school when God interrupted my plans with a new calling. It wasn’t a physical move for me, but it felt just as daunting: God was nudging me to become an author and speaker, something completely out of my realm at the time. I sat on the couch sobbing, feeling ill-equipped and scared to pivot from everything I’d been working toward. But like Alyx, I had to decide: Would I stay where I was comfortable, or trust God into the unknown? I said “yes” to God (through tears and lots of prayers!), and wow – He has been so faithful. That leap of faith led to the ministry I have now. Looking back, I see God’s fingerprints all over that transition, even though at the time I felt like I was jumping without a safety net.

Maybe you’re in a similar boat (or about to be). Perhaps you sense God leading you to apply for a new position, start a business, leave a toxic workplace, or shift into full-time motherhood. The change might not seem huge to others – “It’s just a different department,” they say, or “You’re only moving across town.” But to you, it’s monumental. It’s okay to feel that! God knows that even “30-minute moves” can carry 3,000-mile fears in our hearts. He isn’t measuring your faith by the size of the move on a map. He’s interested in your heart’s willingness to follow Him.

So how do we navigate these career transitions with faith over fear? Here are a few practical steps that have helped me and others:

Pray through every step: Sounds obvious, but it’s vital. From the moment you start considering the change, keep a dialogue with God open. When fear of the unknown hits at 2 AM, turn it into a prayer: “Lord, guide me. Give me peace. I need You.” When I was transitioning careers, I wrote out prayers in a journal each time I felt anxious. Looking back at those entries later was a testimony of how God answered and comforted me in each concern. Prayer is essentially us admitting, “God, I can’t do this alone.” And He loves to respond to that humble trust.
Remember God’s track record: In times of transition, intentionally remember how God has been faithful in the past. In the Old Testament, David said, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done” (Psalm 143:5). Make a list of times God provided for you, guided you, or gave you strength in previous seasons. Alyx did this: she recalled how God helped her through a tough college decision years ago, and it gave her courage that He would help her now too. When I was debating my big career leap, my husband reminded me of how God had led our family through moving into full-time ministry earlier. Those memories of God’s faithfulness act like fuel for your faith. If He did it before, He can do it again! The God who never changes will be the same in this new chapter as He was in the last.
Take one step at a time: Trusting God in a career transition doesn’t mean you won’t have any fear – it means you move forward in spite of it, one step after another. You don’t have to have the entire journey figured out. (I know, that’s hard for us planners!) God often only shows us a little bit at a time. Like headlights on a road – you get enough light for the next few yards, not the whole highway. Embrace that. Focus on the next right thing. Maybe today that’s updating your résumé, or making that phone call, or packing one box. Do that one thing prayerfully, and leave the rest with God. When Alyx started her new job, she told herself, “I just need to get through the first day.” Then, “I just need to get through this week.” Gradually, those small obediences turned into a whole season of growth. As Scripture says, “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Walking implies one step at a time. So don’t freeze because you can’t see the entire path. Trust that when you obey for today, God will take care of tomorrow.
Find your support crew: You don’t have to navigate transition alone. Find a few people you trust and let them be your cheerleaders and prayer warriors. Maybe it’s your spouse, a close friend, a mentor, or even a small group at church. Share your journey with them – the fears and the hopes. Ask them to pray with you, check in on you, and remind you of truth when you’re feeling shaky. On tough days, a text from a friend saying “I’m praying for you – God’s got this!” can make a world of difference. In my own leap of faith, I leaned a lot on my husband and a couple of dear friends. They listened to my worries and constantly pointed me back to God’s promises. God often speaks to us through the voices of encouraging friends. Lean on your community; it’s a gift God gives us for exactly these seasons.

Above all, give yourself grace. Transitions are hard. Even when you know it’s what God is asking, it’s normal to feel sad about what you’re leaving or nervous about what you’re walking into. God doesn’t expect you to pretend to be fearless. He simply invites you to bring that fear to Him and take the next step anyway. There’s a saying I love: “Do it afraid.” Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s moving forward in spite of fear, knowing God’s by your side. That’s what faith over fear looks like in action.

In Joshua 1:9, God told Joshua – who was literally about to lead a huge transition into the Promised Land – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” That promise is for you too. If God is leading you to a new place (figuratively or literally), He’s also going with you. You may feel like you’re leaping into the unknown, but you are not leaping alone. The same God who guides your steps also holds your hand.

A gentle challenge for you: If you’re standing at the edge of a transition (or in the messy middle of one), take some time to reflect and pray this week. Ask yourself, “What fear is holding me back from fully trusting God in this?” Write it down. Then next to it, write a truth from Scripture that combats that fear (for example, “I’m afraid of failing” vs. “God works all things for my good” – Romans 8:28). Surrender that fear to God and take a symbolic step forward. It could be as simple as finally sending in that application, or telling someone about your decision as an accountability step.

And remember, every big journey is made of many small steps. Your “small” move matters immensely to God. Embrace the leap, no matter how long it is. He is with you every mile of the way, even the first 30 minutes. ❤️