Creative Writing - Smart Growth Writing

After serving in our church for three and a half years, I began to sense a shift about two years in. At first, I tried to ignore it. I told myself that every church has its seasons and imperfections. But over time, the strife and division in the church became too difficult to overlook. I was not seeking perfection, only truth and accountability. When those began to erode [and impact my children], I knew it was time to listen to what the Lord was stirring in my spirit.

Leaving a church is not easy, especially when it has been part of your family’s rhythm for years. It had been the place where my children learned memory verses, sang songs of praise, and first began to understand what faith meant. Yet, I could not ignore the responsibility God placed on me as a parent. I want my children to see faith lived with integrity. I want them to know that following Jesus means seeking truth, even when it requires stepping away from what is familiar.

After nearly two decades in the military, my husband and I are no strangers to transition. We have learned how to adapt, serve, and move forward when assignments

change. Now, as we approach retirement, we sense God calling us to a different kind of obedience. This time, it is not about following orders but about building roots. For so long, service required mobility. Now, the Lord is inviting our family into stability, to plant deeply in a community where faith and purpose can grow together.

Leaving our church felt a lot like completing a deployment. You look back with gratitude for what you learned and the people you served beside, but you also know that lingering beyond your mission’s end can hinder growth. Every season has its purpose, and when God releases you, it is not failure. It is faithfulness.

Unity has always mattered to me. I long for my family to be part of a church that holds fast to Scripture and loves people well. True unity is not silence when something is wrong. It is the shared pursuit of truth, humility, and obedience to Christ. Our decision to leave was not an act of division but of devotion. It was an act of trust that God would guide us toward a body of believers who live out His Word with consistency and grace.

As we visit new churches, we pray together for wisdom. We ask God to lead us where we can grow, serve, and share the Gospel freely. We are not looking for a place that entertains or comforts us. We are looking for a community that lives out the Great Commission, where my children can see faith in action and where we can contribute to God’s work with sincerity.

This season feels like both an ending and a beginning. The military chapter of our life is nearing its close, and with it comes a renewed calling to lead our family by faith rather than by orders. The uniform may come off, but the mission remains the same. We are called to love God, raise our children in His truth, and be witnesses to His faithfulness wherever He plants us.

Clarity often follows courage. The courage to ask questions, to leave when it is easier to stay, and to trust that God’s next chapter will not only grow deeper roots but bear lasting fruit.

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America promises freedom and authenticity, yet many people feel surrounded by artifice. From the food we eat to the shows we watch, industries are less concerned with truth and more concerned with shaping perception. Increasingly, these industries wrap their messages around identity, including sexuality and gender. Whether intentional or not, narratives of being gay or transgender are present in everything from advertising to entertainment, and the sense grows that corporations profit not just from products but from cultural transformation.

Food Industry: Marketing Identity Alongside Flavor

American food is engineered to be addictive, using chemicals and design to trigger cravings. Beyond taste, the food industry has learned to package meals and brands in terms of identity. Commercials tie snacks and drinks to values like pride, inclusivity, and self-expression. Seasonal campaigns are no longer only about flavors, they are about who you are when you consume them. What used to be nourishment has become a vehicle for cultural messaging.

Clothing Industry: Fashion as Fluid Identity

The fashion world thrives on change. Trends must be disposable for companies to keep selling. In recent years, brands have increasingly promoted fluidity in sexuality and gender as part of their campaigns. Pride-themed clothing lines, rainbow logos, and gender-neutral collections appear every year. While some see this as positive inclusion, others see it as corporations exploiting sensitive issues to boost profits. Clothing is no longer just fabric, it is a billboard for social and sexual narratives.

Pharmaceutical Industry: Chemical Solutions and Gender Pathways

America’s medical system often manages conditions rather than curing them. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies have expanded into new markets related to identity. Medications and treatments for gender transition are not only medical options but also profit streams. Direct-to-consumer advertising emphasizes that happiness and identity can be unlocked through prescriptions. The result is a perception that health care is no longer neutral but intertwined with cultural debates on sexuality and gender.

Media Industry: Saturated with Storylines

Media is the most powerful cultural influencer in America. Movies, television, and digital platforms amplify themes of sexuality and gender at a rate unmatched in history. LGBTQ+ characters and trans storylines are not only present but often central to programming. While representation matters to some audiences, others see a coordinated push to normalize and monetize new identities. What feels fake is the saturation. Every show, commercial, and news cycle seems to carry the same undertone, creating the impression of an agenda rather than organic diversity.

So long, farewell, Netflix — it’s not me, it’s you.

The Business of Influence

Across industries, the goal is not simply to provide food, clothing, or entertainment but to sell identity. If identity is changeable, it becomes a renewable market. By encouraging Americans to redefine themselves, even sexually or in terms of gender, industries can profit from an endless cycle of new products, treatments, clothing lines, and entertainment. The constant repetition across every sector reinforces the sense that being gay or trans is less about organic personal discovery and more about engineered corporate messaging.

Conclusion

The question of why everything feels fake in America leads to one clear answer: profit. Food companies sell identity, fashion sells fluidity, pharmaceuticals sell solutions, and media sells narratives. Sexuality and gender have become profitable frontiers, repackaged and resold under the banner of progress. What many Americans feel is not just that industries are fake, but that they are being shaped toward identities that can be endlessly marketed. The focus is not on truth, but on influence, and the driving force is money.

Want more? You can explore this article and others on our main site: smartgrowthwriting.com , where you’ll also find details about our editing, coaching, and professional writing services.

Thanks for reading Jazmin’s Substack! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Thanks for reading Jazmin’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.