Often the biggest transformations we undergo don’t arrive as lightning bolts, but as quiet shifts we’ve been preparing for all along. For John Fox, the transformation from a 25-year career in high finance to becoming a chaplain wasn’t sudden at all. It was a slow burn—shaped by loss, reflection, community, and a deep desire to live a more meaningful life.

John’s successful finance career spanned decades. To the world, he was thriving, but internally he yearned for fulfillment no paycheck could give him. After losing his mother, questioning the purpose of work, and rediscovering his spiritual roots, he began to sense that his life was preparing him for a very different kind of service. That path eventually led him to the Peace Corps, seminary, and finally chaplaincy—where he now spends his days sitting with people in hospitals, jails, shelters, and hospice care.

In this conversation, John shares how you can slowly build a new life, why most of us struggle to talk about things we can’t fix, and the human need to be seen by others. We also talk about community, discernment, loss, faith, and the power of listening without trying to change anything.

His story is a reminder that life’s meaning often reveals itself slowly… and that the pivots that change our lives most profoundly are the ones we’ve been preparing for all along.

This is A Bit of Optimism.

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To learn more about the Union Rescue Mission, visit their website at www.urm.org

And to check out John’s congregation, head to www.newcitychurchla.com