The Grace of God in Delayed Obedience - Part 1: Distraction

A Note Before You Read

This post is not written to condemn anyone who practices yoga or holds beliefs different from my own. I recognize that each person has their own journey, convictions, and relationship with God. My intention is not to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't practice. This is simply my testimony. It's about sharing what God did in me when I became willing to let go of what He was asking me to release and trust Him with what He was leading me toward. This is my story, my conviction, and my testimony of God's faithfulness.

✨Discovery of Yoga✨

During one of the hardest seasons of my marriage, I discovered yoga which means "to yoke" in Sanskrit and represents the connection of the mind, body, and spirit—and I fell madly in love with the practice. The idea of yoga was introduced to me three times in dreams. Since I was a little girl, two of the primary ways God communicates with me are through dreams and visions, often in confirmations of three.

In the first dream, I saw the name of a yoga studio written in the clouds—one I didn’t recognize or even realize existed at the time. I was confused, questioned it, and ignored it. I didn't know much about yoga except that it was very slow paced and drastically different from the high intensity, heavy lifting, strength training workouts that I was use to. At that point in my life, I was deeply consumed by marital hardship, and it had begun taking a physical toll on my body. And as we know, the enemy is desperate and will use anyone and anything to still, kill and destroy. Well, he used the rheumatologist that my primary care doctor referred me to, who, based on the symptoms I was presenting, diagnosed me with fibromyalgia and highly recommended yoga to help manage stress, anxiety, and fatigue. Google defines fibromyalgia as a long-term medical condition that causes widespread body pain, extreme tiredness, and sleep problems. And yes, while I had all of these symptoms and I heard the diagnosis — I did not receive it. I literally rebuked the fibromyalgia diagnosis and declared myself healed in Jesus’ name.

Then came the second dream. Then the third. Eventually, I gave in and decided to try yoga, believing—or at least wanting to believe—that this was God leading me. Because if you didn't know, the enemy will capitalize on negative thoughts and ungodly seeds, which is why the bible tells us to take EVERY thought captive and make it obedient to Christ - 2 Corinthians 10:5. Initially, the yoga classes felt weird and uncomfortable because it was new and unfamiliar territory; but I was desperate for relief, so I stayed. And I kept showing up. Class after class turned into commitment through a yearly membership, which turned into me enrolling in and completing a 300-Hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program, becoming a certified yoga teacher. Wow! That escalated quickly.

YTT was a nine-month, deeply intense, emotional journey—filled with intense-detailed training, vulnerability, shared wounds, tears, and deep exposure. It was a beautiful, hard, uncomfortable, and powerful journey to discovering myself, and in hindsight, it was also the perfect distraction and delay from what God was actually calling me to do - more on that later. Now don't get me wrong, I met some amazing people and built long lasting genuine connections and relationships that I still have till this day. However, that doesn't negate the instruction from God to be alert and of sober mind; so that you are cautious and able to discern when you are making drastic life changes not ordained by God.

At the time, I believed I had done my due diligence. I researched yoga. I saw nothing that conflicted with my faith—or so I thought. The training even included discussions on God, crystals, and spirituality. I felt “covered.” But deception doesn’t announce itself.

I became fully immersed—certified in Reiki, teaching weekly yoga classes, and even preparing to open my own yoga studio.

✨The Shift✨

So here I was - being still and standing in my broken marriage as God commanded me, teaching yoga and preparing to open my own yoga studio. At this time, I was also now under the phenomenal teaching and guidance of my Christian wife coach, Tawanda Johnson better known as "Coach T", maybe 5-6 months in. On one of our clarity calls, she asked me a simple but profound question: “What are you doing in obedience to God?” Excitedly, I shared my plans—my LLC, my yoga studio, my vision. With so much gentleness, she said: “Kendra, I don’t know much about yoga, but I implore you to go back to God and seek Him again concerning this.” And so, I did; I cried out to God and said:

“God if this isn’t You, give me an undeniable sign. Shake something. Move something. I need to know with certainty.”

While waiting on God… I proceeded with MY plans.

I signed the lease.

I furnished the studio.

I prepared for staging.

The day I was scheduled to take marketing photos, the owner of the studio space called and said a pipe had burst in MY unit. I knew it was a sign from God and I ignored it.

After the pipe was fixed and a deep cleaning of the studio was done, I returned—barefoot, as yoga often is. I prayed over the space, took photos, and then sat in silence.

Crying out to God on my knees in repentance in the studio.

That’s when Holy Spirit gently said:

“Look at your feet.”

Yall!!! They were black as tar.😮Remember the studio had just gotten a deep cleaning!

Then He said:

“Leave this place. This is not My plan for you.”

I immediately fell on my face in repentance and gratitude. The very next morning in my quiet time, Holy Spirit led me to these scriptures:

"And beware that you do not raise your eyes toward heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and let yourselves be led astray and worship them and serve them, [mere created bodies] which the Lord your God has allotted to [serve and benefit] all the peoples under the whole heaven." - Deuteronomy 4:19 AMP

One of the most important practices of yoga is sun salutations - that's physically moving your body in various positions and poses; poses which I later learned honor and serve other deities.

“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship]." - Exodus 20:3-4 AMP

"because [by choice] they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen." - Romans 1:25 AMP

"Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." - John 14:6 AMP

God was showing me that only He can give you TRUE healing and peace. No yoga pose, breathwork or crystal can do that, ONLY God.

That same day, God led me to an article written by a former yoga teacher of 15+ years. The scriptures referenced in the article were the exact same ones Holy Spirit had given me that morning in my quiet time. Nobody but God.😩🙌🏾

God was making it abundantly clear that yoga was an absolute no for ME. He left the 99 to come and get the 1, ME🥺 and I was deeply humbled, grateful and honored. So of course, I immediately agreed with God and decided in my heart to release all things yoga.

I ended my lease.

I stopped teaching and practicing yoga and reiki.

I severed any attachments that God revealed needed to end.

And immediately I literally felt an immense weight being lifted off my shoulders. I was literally and physically bound by the enemy and didn't know it.

I can't begin to explain how good every yoga class felt in the moment. For that hour, I could breathe a little deeper, quiet my mind, release some of the tension I had been carrying, and feel like I could finally exhale. It felt like relief. It felt like peace.

I would feel better when the class was over, but whatever I was carrying would eventually find its way back to me. Yoga could help me release what I was feeling in the moment, but it couldn't heal the deeper places within me that were crying out for restoration. And I think that's what God was trying to show me.

I wasn't simply looking for a workout. I was looking for relief. I was looking for peace. I was looking for a way to quiet the noise, release the heaviness, and feel whole again. And while I didn't fully understand it at the time, God knew exactly what my soul was searching for. He was showing me that what I had been seeking in temporary relief, He wanted to provide through true healing, wholeness, and surrender to Him.

What I thought was simply God asking me to walk away from yoga was actually an invitation to come closer to Him.

And now, through my surrender and trust in God, I am:

• Fibromyalgia-free

• Healing from Divorce

• Back to strength training

• Down 30 pounds

• Walking in my actual calling of Faith & Wellness: Sharing the truth of God and His word through my personal life experiences and testimonies with love, to bring help, freedom, and healing to others.

This wasn't MY plan but this also isn't MY life. My life is not my own.

God has me in a very uncomfortable season of sharing via blogs, videos and stories and He's already told me there's more to come.🙃 He knows I'm a behind the scenes type of girl🫠 but I know I can't reach the people assigned to me behind the scenes. So, here's to stepping out on faith and trusting God.

This is Part 1 of my testimony and your reminder to not be distracted by the enemy schemes. Distractions lead to delays and we got work to do - God's work...Kingdom work!

If God's not in it, neither am I! I am forever grateful for how patient God is with me even when I am knowingly disobedient. His grace is sufficient.

Stay tuned for Part 2 - Divine Direction.

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 ✨ Moment of Reflection ✨

Take a moment and ask yourself:

• Am I putting off something I know God has called me to do? Why? What am I afraid of?

• What next step can I take today to be obedient to what God has called me to do?

Delayed obedience is still disobedience. Partial obedience is still disobedience.

Don't miss the new hope and future of abundance that God has promised you.

God is gracious and patient. He's waiting for you to answer the call. Don't delay any further.

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🌿 Thank you for reading.  

If this reflection stirred something in your heart, I’d be honored if you shared it. Let’s continue building a community rooted in grace, truth, and divine love - one post, one prayer, one conversation at a time.

Feel free to leave a comment, share your thoughts, or pass this along to someone who needs it. You are seen. You are loved. You are never walking alone.