A Great Pursuit

Lieutenant Shirley Figueroa, assistant corps officer at The Salvation Army’s San Juan Corps Community Center in Puerto Rico, talks about the way she honors both her father and God, lessons from King David’s loyalty, and her reason why accepting the call to officership can feel like a game of hide-and-seek.

The first time I met God was in the Catholic Church. I’m grateful that it gave me the foundation of who He was, but the Catholic Church was never quite a fit for me. It’s a much more ceremonial, sacrament-focused way to worship, and I felt unsettled when I was there. I was young, and when you lose your connection to Him, it is easy to stray as I did. But even so, God had a plan for me, and He used everything that happened to shape me into who I am today.

When many of us first receive the calling, we don’t always want to accept it. Becoming an officer meant taking my children with me and away from Puerto Rico. I didn’t know English well, I had gone through a difficult divorce, and I would be far from my loved ones. But God was in pursuit of me, and it gave me such anxiety! Not from worry or dread, but from knowing that I needed to speak up and answer Him. Imagine children playing hide-and-seek, and only seconds away from being found. Right before it happens, they cannot keep their excitement inside and they yell out, “You got me!” That’s what it felt like. Every barrier that I put up, God was breaking down until I accepted that I had been found. He always finds us.

I used to be terrified to sing or dance in church. But for The Salvation Army, this type of worship ministry became my passion. When there was an opportunity to perform for last year’s “You Matter/¡Eres importante!” family gathering in Puerto Rico, I was nervous about even auditioning. At the first rehearsal, all the other dancers were younger than me and had been dancing and performing for most of their lives. But God reminded me that there’s no point in comparing myself to anyone, because in the end, it’s not about me. It’s about Him. When I feel scared or insecure during a performance, I remember that I’m not doing it for human eyes or ears, but for God.

After God proclaimed to David that he would be king one day, David faced many trials and challenges, such as the giant Goliath and attempts on David’s life by King Saul. Yet David refused to rush and go against God’s Word and promises. In turn, when the time was right, David became a great, influential king. Our suffering may be God working through us to bring salvation to others. A family emergency kept me from attending my commissioning ceremony—it left me in doubt of God’s promise. But in that pain, I had people who approached me and showed me how much they cared about what I was going through. I began to look at life’s misfortunes in a different way. What you are going through may be reaching others. Ask yourself, “Who is watching me? Is my reaction to this trial strengthening their faith?”

I grew up in a musical family. My mom played trombone, my brothers played the saxophone and the piano, and my father played the trumpet. I didn’t play an instrument, but when my father died, I started taking trumpet classes at the San Juan Corps. It was a way to remember him and continue his legacy. We were close, but learning the instrument that he loved is like getting to know him in a new way. When I play at the corps, I honor both of my fathers in Heaven.