Elaine Lankford knew from the sixth grade that she was supposed to become a nurse. She followed that direction, completed her education, and built a successful career in pain management. Nursing was more than a profession to her. It was part of how she understood her calling and, eventually, part of how she understood herself.
Then, in 2008, the medical practice where she worked was closed by the Virginia Medical Board. Elaine suddenly found herself defending her reputation and facing the loss of a career she believed God had led her into. During that same season, her father passed away, and a few months later, her husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 47 years old.
Within a matter of months, nearly every stable part of her life had shifted.
Elaine joined Mark Rowan on the 2000 Cubit Rule to talk about that season, how God used it to confront where she had placed her identity, and how He eventually opened a completely different path for her.
When Calling Becomes Identity
Elaine had grown up in church and known Jesus from a young age. For much of her life, however, her Christian walk had been relatively protected from major upheaval. She describes the loss of her career and the personal trials surrounding it as her first significant test of faith.
One of the hardest questions came from knowing that God had called her into nursing. If she had heard Him correctly, why would He allow that calling to be taken away?
As Elaine worked through that question, she began to recognize how closely her identity had become tied to her accomplishments. She had earned the degrees, collected the credentials, accepted greater responsibility, and continued moving forward professionally. None of those things were inherently wrong, but somewhere along the way, her identity as a nurse had begun to overshadow her identity in Christ.
God was not finished with Elaine, and He had not wasted her years in nursing. He was drawing her back to Himself while preparing her for work she could not yet see.
The transition did not happen quickly. Elaine describes it as a five-year pit, a long period of processing what had happened and discovering what would come next. Looking back, she can see that God used the pain, experience, and skills from her former career to prepare her to help other women move through their own obstacles.
“Go Home and Raise Up My Daughters”
Several years later, Elaine traveled with her church on a mission trip to Nicaragua. One morning, while sitting on a porch in Puerto Cabezas, she sensed God speaking clearly to her: “Go home and raise up My daughters.”
She did not immediately know what that meant. Elaine had led small groups, informally mentored women, written about her experiences, and begun speaking, but she had not developed a plan to coach Christian women into their callings.
After returning home, she began looking at the women around her differently. She knew many of their stories, abilities, and dreams. She also saw how many of them attended church each week without fully stepping into what God had placed inside them. Elaine began to understand that she was being called to serve as a catalyst, helping women recognize what God had given them and move forward with it.
That realization eventually led her into coaching and the creation of She Steps Forward.
The foundation of that work comes from Luke 1:45, where Elizabeth speaks over Mary: “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Elaine describes her role as being an Elizabeth who looks for the Marys. She helps women believe what God has spoken and develop the spiritual and practical foundations necessary to carry it forward.
An Unexpected Door to Kenya
In 2019, Elaine held the first She Steps Forward International Women’s Conference in Hampton Roads. Approximately 60 women attended, several women-owned vendors were supported, and the event provided tangible help to three women-founded nonprofits.
One attendee had traveled much farther than anyone expected.
A woman named Teresa discovered the event while preparing to visit family in the United States. She traveled from Kenya to attend the conference and later invited Elaine to bring its message to Nairobi. Elaine had not been planning an international expansion, but she recognized that God had placed an open door in front of her.
In February 2020, Elaine traveled to Nairobi for the first She Steps Forward conference in Africa. Sixty women representing five African countries attended. While there, Elaine also visited local outreaches serving children and protecting vulnerable girls. She saw women doing extraordinary work with very limited resources, and the experience broadened her understanding of what She Steps Forward could become.
That work now includes conferences, faith-based coaching cohorts, humanitarian outreach, and seed-money grants designed to help women begin building businesses, ministries, and nonprofits. Elaine is also exploring opportunities in Honduras to help young women develop practical skills and create businesses that can protect them from exploitation and sex trafficking.
None of this began with a detailed international strategy. It grew as Elaine remained attentive to God and responded to the doors He opened.
Waiting With Expectancy
When people ask Elaine how she became involved in so many different areas of work, her answer is simple: she waits with expectancy for God’s next move. When He opens a door, she walks through it.
That does not mean she always understands what is on the other side. It also does not mean she has followed perfectly. There have been times when she moved ahead and needed God to pull her back. Her journey has taught her to watch for His direction, trust His preparation, and move when He moves.
That rhythm reflects the heart of the 2000 Cubit Rule. When Israel prepared to cross the Jordan River, the people were instructed to leave space between themselves and the Ark of the Covenant. God was going ahead of them, showing them the way because they had never traveled it before.
There are seasons when God asks us to wait and seasons when He asks us to move. Faith requires both. Moving too soon can take us ahead of His direction, while refusing to move can keep us from entering what He has prepared.
Elaine’s story is a reminder that a closed chapter does not mean God has abandoned the calling. He may be separating our identity from a position, redirecting our experience toward a different purpose, or preparing connections that we could never arrange on our own.
We may not understand why one door closed, but we can remain ready for the next one He opens.
Take the Next Step
Elaine now helps Christian women in the early years of building a business, ministry, or nonprofit. Her approach combines spiritual formation with practical strategy, helping women clarify whom they are called to serve, what they are building, and how to establish a foundation that can last.
Learn more about Elaine’s coaching at She Steps Forward Coaching and explore the international ministry at She Steps Forward International.
If God has given you a message or vision but you are struggling to make it clear, the free Metamorphoo Method Guide can help you identify where you are and what may be missing. Visit MetamorphooMethod.com to download the guide and begin turning what God has shown you into something others can understand, receive, and run with.