Work Week: Issac’s Story

Hello again KCB Blog readers..

This “Work” week, George sat down with Issac Ramirez, Route Manager for GSI.. and from reading his answers.. I could tell that this wasn’t just another paycheck story. This felt like reading from a man who found where he’s supposed to be.. where he’s called to be.. and I’m pleased to be able to share with you all.

Issac didn’t just randomly stumble into an opportunity with GSI. Behind the scenes, long before it even was a possibility, GSI was undergoing some changes, and those changes led to new positions we had to fill. With the history of community and relationships, naturally, our Directors informed local churches and trusted partners of the openings.. and one of those pastors who knew about it just so happened to be Issac’s pastor, who thankfully shared the opportunity with him. Once Issac heard about it, it seems he didn’t waste much time trying to get in. “It was an opportunity I did not want to waste,” he said. Simple as that. But when you learn the “why” of the situation, it all comes together..

Before GSI, Issac had been doing first-call mortuary and coroner transports for about three years.. the kind of work that weighs on you. Heavy work, heavy hours, but not enough pay to really get ahead. As a husband, he knew he had to make a change. So he switched to Sprouts.. and for awhile, it seemed like he was beginning to clear a lot of things up. He had a steadier schedule, better money, a real step forward. But something was missing..

That’s about the time he got a call about interviewing with GSI. So he did, and shortly after, he got the offer. Now for a while, Issac was actually juggling both Sprouts and GSI.. because that’s what you do when you’re trying to build something real for you and your wife. But the more time he spent with GSI.. the more time experiencing the mission in action, building relationships with the people, the feeling he had when the work lined up with what he believed God was calling him to.. the clearer it got. And at that point he made the decision to let Sprouts go and step into GSI full-time.

From reading his experiences so far, it seems like he made the right choice.. Now he’s providing for himself and his wife in a way he couldn’t before. They’ve got their own place and a healthier, more stable life together. “That’s when I saw real stability,” he told George. “I realized I could finally provide for my family.”

The impact so far in Issac’s life goes way beyond the finances though. The workshops GSI puts on to help the participants also are sharpening him. The team that was created to help participants get their life back, are also pushing him. But the biggest shift? Belonging. “Before, ‘belong’ was just a word,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I had a place where I was truly valued. Now it means being part of a community where people support each other, encourage one another, and work together. I have real purpose here.”

He talks about Gene (GSI Director) like he’s the real deal.. a leader who corrects fast because he wants you to win, not fail. And now with Issac leading routes, he draws from Gene’s experiences and teachings to motivate his crew.. because he knows what it’s like to need a chance.

With the schedule GSI gave him, he’s finally got some margin.. more time with his wife (because as Issac puts it: she deserves it), more time at church, more time saying “yes” to the places God wants him. And his takeaway for anyone still grinding without a sense of purpose is simple: “Don’t give up on yourself. Small steps, consistency, staying open to help.. that’s what moves the needle. With God, change is possible when you stay focused and teachable.” (Galatians 6:9 anyone?)

As the interview came to a close, he left George with 1 Timothy 1:12-17.. a verse that speaks to self accountability and ownership. In this scripture, Paul stops everything and basically says, “I was the worst.. a blasphemer, a persecutor, a violent man.. I deserved nothing but judgment.” Yet Jesus poured out His mercy and filled him with faith and love.. and then turned around and appointed him to serve. Paul even calls himself the prime example that no one is beyond God’s reach.

Issac isn’t claiming he was the worst sinner on the planet.. but he is saying that he knows what it feels like to have a past that could of disqualified him. He’s saying he knows what it feels like to wonder if God can still use him. And this verse is proof He can.. because He did it with Paul, and He’s doing it with him.

That’s why the line he lives by now makes so much sense:

“Our past mistakes do not define us.. God can still use us for His work.”

That’s the heartbeat of Issac’s story and what sticks with me as I write this.. A man who went from running two jobs just to survive.. to a man leading routes, building a home with his wife, and walking in the purpose he always knew was waiting. God gave him a calling.. and now Issac is giving his all to GSI.. for real.. he even left a chunk of his finger on the job earlier this year (ask him about “the incident” sometime.. can’t question the commitment!.. haha)

So let’s keep Issac in prayer.. for the routes he runs, for his marriage, for the participants looking up to him now. Pray for Gene, George, and the whole GSI crew too.. that they keep building this thing up the right way and continuing to show that redemption stories aren’t just found in the pages of our bibles.. They’re right in front of us too.

Keep going Issac! We’re proud of you!

Thanks for reading.. Until next time..