The biggest hurdle in my life lately has been my job situation, or lack of one.

-By Kewee

Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us: there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Before I was laid off in mid-October, I went through a long stretch of stress at my previous workplace—multiple managers, shifting expectations, and a lot of unfulfilled promises. I wanted to leave, but I felt stuck. I couldn’t seem to pass interviews elsewhere, so I stayed and tried to learn and grow through whatever God had placed in front of me.

I’ve always tried to be different at work—unafraid to live out my Christian values. But working in the Bay Area can be very political, where things like credit, promotions, and influence don’t always align with integrity. I think God was teaching me how to still be a light in that kind of environment, even when it was uncomfortable, and how to trust Him when outcomes don’t match effort.

When I got laid off, I honestly saw it as a blessing in disguise. I had been feeling ready to move on, but I couldn’t quite make the exit myself. I even remember sharing in my community group and praying for some kind of change in my job situation. I didn’t really know what that would look like—whether it meant a new role or a door opening elsewhere—but I knew I couldn’t stay in that same place much longer. Looking back, it’s interesting how that prayer was answered in a way I didn’t expect. The layoff was still unexpected and honestly shocking. After a short break and a trip to Japan, I came back ready to take control—applying everywhere, studying intensely, and trying to force an outcome. After a couple months of rejections, I was exhausted.

That’s when I realized I wasn’t really trusting God—I was trying to carry everything myself. I slowed down and started treating the job search more like a marathon than a sprint. And I saw how God was already providing: friends lowering rent, support from family, and my wife getting a full-time job quickly through a close childhood friend.

I also started making pickleball videos as a creative outlet, which helped me breathe a bit outside of the pressure.

Then, unexpectedly, one of the jobs I had applied to casually reached out. I went through each interview expecting to fail. Take-home, hiring manager, final rounds—I didn’t feel confident in any of it. Even the system design interview was something I felt underprepared for and I even studied the wrong question. But step by step, I kept moving forward.

A day after the final interview, I got the call: I had an offer.

Looking back, I don’t think it was just skill or timing. It felt like God carried me through it. I wasn’t operating at what I would call my “best,” but the outcome still came through. 

I think God works in seasons. Sometimes He provides quickly, and sometimes He teaches us to depend on Him more deeply than we ever have before. Luke 12:22–24 reminds us that He already knows what we need, just as He provides for the birds.

This season taught me to trust Him not only when things are difficult, but also when things feel uncertain—even when I’m trying my best to control them.