Living faithfully in a season of waiting

My name is Maria Valentina Almeida. I am a 23-year-old Catholic woman whose faith is the most important part of my life.

In December 2024, I graduated with dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in journalism and public health from Miami University, eager to step into the next chapter of adulthood. But, in September 2024, just months before graduation, I was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. In March 2025, I was added to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) kidney transplant waitlist.

Instead of beginning a traditional post-college career, I entered a season marked by physical limitation, uncertainty and a profound dependence on God.

Living with chronic kidney disease has reshaped my daily life. My energy fluctuates, my health requires careful boundaries and some days are spent simply resting and recovering. Because of the unpredictable nature of my illness, pursuing full-time employment has not yet been feasible.

Yet, I have come to see that this slower season is not empty. It is formative.

Through this experience, I have learned that suffering is not merely an obstacle to overcome, but an invitation to deeper union with Christ. I have accepted this chapter as one filled with purpose. In moments of weakness, I have discovered strength rooted not in productivity, but in surrender.

Over the past year, I have intentionally remained engaged in ways that honor both my physical limits and my calling to serve. I have volunteered with a children’s hospital, helping provide medical resources to families of sick infants. At my local Catholic parish, I served as an after-care counselor for elementary school students and sang in the choir in preparation for Sunday Mass. I have supported mothers through a local pregnancy center, as well as assisted families navigating financial hardship at a community care center. I also work part-time, remotely, with a nonprofit organization promoting electric vehicle mobility.

At the same time, I have invested in the future I hope to step into after the transplant. This past January, I completed an eight-week public speaking and motivational speaker certification course through the University of Washington. I am now a certified motivational speaker and a Catholic writer with Journeys Revealed, where my speaking ministry centers on the belief that God works powerfully through life’s hidden and difficult seasons.

I am also the author of Though the Fig Tree, a weekly blog newsletter born from this season of waiting. Through my writing, I reflect on what it means to trust God despite uncertainty. As I shared in my writer's introduction, “this blog is a testimony to choosing trust, gratitude, and praise; even when the fig tree does not blossom.”

Aside from all the work I have done, the most important part of this journey for me has been my personal growth as a believer of God as a devoted Catholic. The sacraments have become anchors for me. I have encountered healing in Confession, reverence and strength in the Eucharist and deep intimacy with Christ in Eucharistic Adoration. Sitting before the tabernacle has taught me that waiting is not wasted when it is united with Him.

While I continue to wait for the call that will change my life — the gift of a kidney transplant — I remain committed to building a future rooted in faith, service and hope. I desire to use my voice through vulnerable writing and speaking to encourage others who find themselves in unexpected trials.

I can choose to sit around feeling sorry for myself, waiting for God to give me what I want, or I can choose to honor the ways he has already blessed me and trust He will soon provide my miracle of life. I choose to be grateful, not take this season for granted, and offer up my waiting and suffering because I know in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him.