From Burnout to Breakthrough: How God Breathed Life Into My Calling

 “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
— Job 33:4 (NIV) 

There’s a moment in the book of Ezekiel that stops me in my tracks every time.

God asks the prophet a haunting question: “Can these bones live?” 

Ezekiel, standing in a valley of dry bones, gives the only answer he can: “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 

What happens next is nothing short of miraculous. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy over the bones, and as he does, they begin to rattle. Bone connects to bone. Tendons and flesh cover them. And finally—God breathes life into them. What was once a heap of lifeless remains becomes a vast, living army.

This image—dry bones made whole by the breath of God—has echoed in my own story.

A Season of Surviving

In the fall of 2022, I found myself running on empty. Disillusioned. Burnt out. Lost in a fog of chronic pain and emotional exhaustion. What was supposed to be a thriving season in my life felt more like captivity. My body ached. My spirit felt numb. I was surviving, but not living.

And honestly, I started to wonder if this was just how it would be now.

Like the Israelites in Ezekiel’s vision, I could almost hear my own bones saying, “Our hope is gone. We are cut off.” 

But God wasn’t done.

The Gentle Nudge

It wasn’t thunder or lightning. It wasn’t a booming voice. It was subtle. A stirring. A whisper. The kind that rests gently on your spirit and refuses to leave.

I started to feel a holy discontentment. A growing sense that I was being called into something new. For over a decade, I’d worked as a financial advisor, and I’d poured my heart into that business. It was more than a career—it was a ministry.

So why would God ask me to lay it down?

Was it burnout talking? Was I just desperate for relief? Or… was God nudging me toward something greater?

The Turning Point

Everything changed over dinner with my dear friend and wise counselor, Dawn.

“I’m thinking about selling my business and starting something new—coaching, consulting—but I don’t understand why,” I admitted.

She listened, smiled, and responded with excitement and support. As I processed out loud (as I often need to do), clarity began to settle in.

“I feel like God is asking me to lay down something good because He’s calling me to something greater.”

The next morning, I woke with undeniable clarity. The name Purpose Driven Coaching & Consulting dropped into my spirit like a gift. God gave me a vision for coaching Christian leaders—a vision so vivid and life-giving that I knew I had to follow it.

I said yes.

Breathing Through the Battle

But let me be honest—the path of obedience wasn’t painless.

The six months that followed were some of the hardest of my life. The stress of selling my business triggered a storm of physical symptoms. Pain surged. My hormones crashed. My nervous system felt like it was in a constant state of “fight or flight.”

It was chaos. And still—God never left my side.

He reminded me that obedience doesn’t mean ease. That doing hard things for His glory often invites spiritual resistance. But He also reminded me of His faithfulness. That just as He breathed life into dry bones, He was breathing purpose and passion back into me.

A Greater Purpose

God didn’t just give me a new business. He gave me a new heart.

He allowed my pain to become purpose. My breakdown became a breakthrough. What was meant to silence me became the foundation for a new, Spirit-led mission.

Once again, I was a girl on a mission—with clarity, vision, and passion.

Just like Ezekiel saw the bones rise to life, I watched God revive what I thought was lost. He gave me something greater: not just a new assignment, but a deeper intimacy with Him.

Resting in His Will

Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42 NIV)

If the Son of God surrendered His will to the Father’s, how much more should we?

Jesus didn’t live for His own glory. He lived on mission—for the will of the One who sent Him. That is what true purpose looks like. Not striving for success, but surrendering for significance.

And it’s in that surrender that I found peace.

I’ve chased achievements. I’ve pursued accolades, money, status. But none of it ever satisfied my soul. Not until I let go of what I wanted, and trusted God with what He wanted for me.

Purpose Isn’t Found in Doing

Here’s what I’ve learned: purpose isn’t found in productivity. It’s not found in titles or tasks or timelines. It’s found in Jesus.

And when we grow in relationship with Him, when we are transformed by His Spirit, He gives us assignments that flow from His purpose, not our performance.

God doesn’t just want us to do for Him. He wants us to become with Him. To become like Him. To trust Him. To obey Him.

Final Breath, First Step

If you feel like you’re surrounded by dry bones… if you feel like your passion is gone or your hope is lost, I want you to hear this:

God is still breathing.

With one breath, He can revive your spirit. With one word, He can redirect your life. With one whisper, He can lead you into something greater than you ever imagined.

He did it for me.

And I believe—with all my heart—He can do it for you too.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
— Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) 

So let’s breathe deeply. Let’s rest in His purpose. Let’s become the people who trust Him enough to obey—even when it’s hard, even when it’s uncertain, even when it feels like we’re letting go of something good.

Because in God’s hands, letting go is the first step toward something greater.

And sometimes, all it takes is one breath.