A journey cannot start if you are not prepared to go.

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, our move to New Zealand has caused a drastic change in my personal walk with the Lord as well as in my personal life. Coming from a background of being the CFO of a company to being a homemaker and then a piano tutor was a big mind shift.

Today I would like to share a bit of the journey with you, and I hope that it will inspire you to grab onto the purpose God has for you.

When I arrived in Hamilton in June 2020, the last thought on my mind was that I would become a piano tutor. One of the first things I bought as a gift for myself and my daughter was our piano. I loved to play, but was very nervous when playing in front of an audience. So, I was fully prepared that I would be the homemaker for my family.

During the quieter times in the mornings when the kids were at school, I started to spend more time in God’s Word. I watched sermons and read books, and slowly the Lord began a good work in me.

I met a friend during that time, and she really inspired me to go deeper with my relationship with the Lord. I started to compose melodies which was inspired after I have read scripture and knew that Jesus was helping me through a major transition period of my life and he used one of my passions that I have buried for almost 20 years, to do so.

It was also this friend of mine who first suggested that I start providing music lessons for smaller children. I prayed about it and asked a mentor of mine what she thought and was encouraged to pursue this path. So, I started my teaching journey with 4 students (my friend’s two children and my own two children) in November 2020. By January 2021, the Lord had fanned into flame this passion of mine, and I started to also teach piano to a select few.

Going forward a few months, I joined up with a local music school in May 2021 and started to teach their curriculum (I wanted to give my students the opportunity to play exams). I am still teaching their curriculum, but also have the freedom to teach other curriculum so that I am able to provide for different student needs.

Never did I thought back in SA, that this would be a career path that would open up for me. This truly happened because God knew the desires of my heart and blessed me with the opportunity to pursue it.

I am still on a journey with the Lord and I know that where he leads, joy follows.

What does this have to do with spiritual strength training?

Being on this journey these past 4 years have trained me to:

1. Rely on the Lord for wisdom and seek his will – Proverbs 5:5 – 6
2. Rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me – Galatians 5:25
3. Commit to the Lord everything I do – Proverbs 16:3
4. Rely on Christ to give me strength – Philippians 4:13
5. Not let fear of the unknown get a foothold and become a stumble block – 2 Timothy 1:7
6. Cast all of my cares unto the Lord – 2 Peter 5:7
7. Accept that God loves me and want good things for his children – Psalm 138:8 and Romans 8:28

It wasn’t easy. I had to overcome a lot of self-doubt and really had to learn what it means to trust Jesus to guide me. When we moved from Hamilton to the Wellington region, I had to start all over again. My first year in 2022, I had 4 students. In 2023 the Lord increased the total to 9. In 2024 3 students decided to pursue other paths, but the Lord provided again and now I have 11 students. This may seem like a small amount to some, but to me, it testifies of God’s faithfulness.

I hope this part of my journey may inspire you to keep on moving forward with the Lord and to pursue the visions he gives you with a joyful spirit. It is worth it!

With love

Catherina