When My Dad Asked God If He Was Real

My dad has a wild story, and I'm always surprised how many people don't know it. He grew up in Mexico, came to the U.S., and worked on a farm. That farm happened to belong to my mom's uncle, which is how they met. Somehow, a guy who didn't speak English yet fell in love with the farmer's niece, married her, and eventually had me, the youngest of their kids. I'm half Mexican, even though I know I don't look it.

But the part of his story that means the most to me isn't the farm or how he met my mom. It's how he met God.

A Question in the Mountains

Before any of that, back in Mexico, my dad was in the mountains and asked God a simple, honest question: "Are You real?” He said he felt God's presence right there, and he knew, without needing anything else, that God was real and that Jesus was who He said He was. That was the beginning of an actual relationship, not just a belief he carried around.

Everything after that, the farm, meeting my mom, moving to the U.S., learning English while going through dental school, all of it happened on the other side of that mountain.

The Closet That Became His Office

When I was young, my dad's office was literally a closet in our house. I remember how peaceful that small space felt. He'd be in there reading his Bible, consistently, like it was just part of how his day worked. When we moved into a new house in the early 2000s, and he finally got a real office, the habit never changed. I'd catch him up at midnight some nights, still in the Word. In the morning, he'd tell me what he'd learned while he made me breakfast.

His whole life, how he works, how he treats his patients, how he talks to people, all of it runs through his relationship with God. He shares the gospel with basically everyone he meets. Not in a forced way. Just as naturally as anything else he does.

A Craftsman Like Bezalel

My dad's a dentist, and he's incredibly skilled at it, precise with his tools, deeply knowledgeable, genuinely gifted at healing people. Watching him work always reminds me of Bezalel in the Old Testament, the craftsman God specifically gifted to build the Ark of the Covenant.

Exodus 31:1-5 — "See, I have called by name Bezalel... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship... to work in every craft."

God didn't just give Bezalel skill for its own sake. He gave it to him to build something that would glorify God. My dad's hands do something different, but the source is the same. His skill as a dentist isn't separate from his faith. It's an expression of it.

We All Have a Different Gift

1 Peter 4:10 — "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."

That word "varied" matters. My dad's gift looks nothing like mine, and mine looks nothing like yours. That's exactly the point. It's not about who has the more impressive calling. It's about actually using whatever you were given, whether that's dentistry, or content, or something nobody else will ever see, to point back to Him.

Watching my dad live that out for my whole life is one of the reasons I take my own calling as seriously as I do. I just hope I'm doing with mine what he's done with his.

Reflection Questions:

1. What's a gift or skill you have that you've never really connected to your faith?

2. Who in your life has shown you what it looks like to actually live out their faith daily, not just talk about it?

3. Where are you tempted to compare your calling to someone else's instead of stewarding what you've actually been given?

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/deimagine

Joe Navarro, known online as @joechristianguy, is a Christian content creator, entrepreneur, and cultural voice passionate about making faith approachable and impactful for the next generation. With over 4.5 million combined followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Joe delivers bold, Gospel-centered truth through a mix of daily encouragement, short-form teachings, comedic skits, and authentic life experiences. His unique blend of theology, humor, and clarity has created space for millions of young believers and skeptics alike to engage with Scripture and real conversations about following Jesus in a digital world. In 2023, he co-created the popular card game Discernment alongside Jacob and Julia Petersen, which is now available in major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Museum of the Bible, and Mardel. He also holds a degree in Agricultural Economics with a minor in Sales from Texas A&M.