My faith walk began at a very young age. My father passed away when I was six and then my mother passed away when I was eight. I’m very grateful for my grandmother and aunts who raised me; without their faith in Christ, I know I would not be the woman that I am today. 

My grandmother and aunts taught me  from a very young age to trust God for everything in life. Whenever I panicked about an exam, they always taught me to study hard and then cast my cares unto the Lord and He would take care of the rest. 

During college, I was blessed to have reconnected with my father’s side of the family and I developed a close relationship with my grandfather and grandmother before they passed. My family’s support gave me the drive to graduate from Brooklyn College and continue my education at New York University’s nursing program. 

On the day of orientation at NYU, I still had absolutely no idea how I was going to pay for school. I received some scholarships but I did not have enough to cover the full tuition. I needed a cosigner to qualify for most loans but my family was not in the financial situation to do so. That morning, my grandmother and I prayed together and she encouraged me to trust in God’s timing. 

During orientation, God spoke to me and led me to a group of women during lunch. We connected immediately and I opened up to them about my inability to afford the tuition. One of them mentioned a loan program offered by a bank for students studying to be health care professionals. When I got home I called the lender, and I was approved without a cosigner right over the phone! I cried and I was filled with joy because I obeyed God and He provided a way when I thought there wasn’t one. I graduated from NYU with honors and immediately started working as a pediatric registered nurse.

I went on to pursue a master’s degree at Stony Brook University for advanced practice nursing and later became a board certified pediatric nurse practitioner. It was during this time, as I was looking for a new job as a nurse practitioner, that my faith was tested and I failed. I went on multiple job interviews and I either wasn’t chosen or the position wasn’t a good fit. I didn’t understand why it was so difficult for me to find the right job and I became anxious, depressed, and discouraged. My existing nursing job where I was working 12 hour night shifts on a high acuity floor just added to my stress. I wasn’t sleeping and I was eating poorly. It got to the point where my inner state of mind started to impact my health. I began to suffer from migraines so intense I couldn’t leave the house for days. Laying in bed in a pitch-black, silent room was the only thing that eased the pain. 

After seeing a neurologist, I was put on an anti-migraine medication that helped me feel more like myself again. My husband was my biggest supporter during this time and he encouraged me to read the Bible and attend church. I began to spend more time in fellowship with God while listening to music and reading scripture. I focused heavily on scriptures pertaining to anxiety. Anytime I felt a migraine or felt stressed I prayed and meditated on these scriptures. I started to feel whole again when I trusted in God’s promises over my life. 

I also started to make self-care a priority. I started going to salt therapy rooms to help with migraine triggers, transitioned to a vegan diet, took yoga and meditation classes, and used essential oils. All of these interventions helped to ease my stress and curb migraine attacks. I began to speak to God daily, thanking Him for the new job I was going to receive in His perfect timing. I knew that I would receive my new job by faith and not by sight. 

By the end of fall 2017, I accepted a pediatric nurse practitioner position with better work hours and benefits. Changing my job, diet, lifestyle, and spending more time with God reduced my stress significantly and I was able to stop the migraine medication.  I believe that this job came to me in God’s perfect timing. Not only has it afforded me more quality time with my husband and family but it has also allowed me to tap into a creative side I never knew I had. 

I’m thankful that I went through this experience because it taught me that I will not always get things when I want them to happen; instead, I need to have patience and trust in God’s timing. I’ve learned to trust and praise Him in the valley and on the mountain top.

Danielle Alvarez

Nurse practitioner, kids yoga teacher, plant enthusiast, and wellness and Christian lifestyle blogger encouraging women to practice self-care and live a purpose driven life @zelue