To My Fellow Business Owners

As a business owner, my heart goes out to fellow business owners during this uncertain time that we are living in.  We are having to make hard decisions and are grasping for whatever income we can acquire to make ends meet and stay afloat.  I know that the stigma placed on us as business owners is that we are greedy, uncaring and selfish.  However, the truth is that the majority of small business owners are some of the most caring and giving people that you will meet.  We all have had moments in our businesses where we are unsure where payroll and taxes are going to come from, and whether or not we will be able to pay ourselves.  The background scenes that most people don’t see is the worry, concern and attempts employers try to make to keep their employees paid and have hours available to work.  This virus has impacted our country more than anything I’ve ever seen in my life, within a weeks’ time.  However, as uncertain as these times are, it makes you step back and evaluate the value of things.  I’ve thought a lot this week about the people in my life and how they are being affected by this.  The value of others has increased, the idea of being quarantined and separated from others is frustrating.  The idea of being separated from customers and employees is aggravating.  When you work with a group of people for a long time, they become family and every business has at least a few loyal customers that you have gained a good relationship with.

Another thing that I value personally, is the word of God.  I’ve prayed a lot this week.  I’m ashamed to admit, more than I have in the past month.  But, I’m a reader by nature and as much as I talk to God, it’s often the moment that I read my Bible that I feel peace.  I feel the opposite when I read all the information that is bombarding us over the virus.  I understand that it is important to be informed, but I also know that it’s important to know who is ultimately in control.  My faith in God keeps me stable.  Will I have moments that fear will creep upon me?  Yes, I have had those moments a lot.  But, the answer to putting the fear at bay is me reading the Bible and seeing what God has to say about it.  It helps me to see what others have endured and come through with His hand in their life.  I hope and pray that this doesn’t last long, but I know I have to trust that God’s going to keep me and take care of me and those around me.  It may not be how I want it to look like, but His love for His children is great.

So, to wrap up my thoughts, my prayer for us entrepreneurs and business owners to go to God for everything that we are feeling and dealing with.  I pray that God will keep us during this time of uncertainty.  I pray that God will increase in us creativity and ideas that will innovate our businesses.  I pray that we will pray for each other more.  I pray that we will support one another and communicate more with one another about our needs and concerns.  We tend to try to fix things ourselves, but I think we need to be open and realize that others in business are feeling the same thing, encouragement is support.  I pray that God will help us to rebuild stronger foundations and relationships with those we come in contact with through our businesses, whether it’s employees, vendors, customers, and other local businesses.  I pray we will overcome this craziness.  Be well, my friends.  Put your hope and faith in God.

 

More than I can count

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. Martin Luther King, Jr

Some days I just feel the need to write.  There’s some kind of healing that happens, I believe when you can just throw the words out of your mind and onto paper or a screen.  I’ve been gnawing on some things that have been going on in my life with certain people who are causing discourse either with those around me or myself and at the same time I’m reading a book that is reminding me to love the unlovable, people different from myself, those I mostly don’t acknowledge or even see.  But, to do this is hard, especially when you encounter those who are ready to run you over and take anything that is left of you or accuse you of not caring when you care more than they understand.

These feelings are minor compared to what Jesus must have felt when those closest to him abandoned him.  That’s what I have to remind myself of.  Jesus felt all the heaviness of all types of problems, sins, hurts, regrets, guilt, accusations but still loved the world enough to bear them.  What amazing love that is.  Yet, how many times have I felt disappointed in God for not doing what I expected him to do?  How many times have I tried to manipulate God to get what I want?  How many times have I shut the door in his face because He’s telling me something that I don’t want to hear?  How many times have I been selfish?  How many times have I been cruel?  How many times have I blamed Him for something I caused myself?  How many times have I hurt him?  How often have I pushed him away?  How many times have I run over him?  How many times have I lied to him?  All these questions remind me of the scripture where Peter asked Jesus how many times do I forgive someone who sins against me? Is 7 times enough?  Jesus replied to Peter and said, no seventy times seven.  Now me, my math skills are terrible, so I would just know that number is more than I can count on my hands.  But, after I figure it up with a calculator, the number is 490.  I don’t think Jesus intended for Peter to keep score to 491 and then write them off as unforgiven.  I think he just gave a high number to show that to forgive isn’t something you should keep score with.  You just need to do it, even when it hurts.    Even when you haven’t done anything wrong but the other person thinks you have.  Forgiveness is never easy.  But forgiveness is necessary.  Why?  Look at how many times Jesus has forgiven you and me and not kept score.    He doesn’t look at you and me and say well, remember the time when you messed up and so on.  Nope, he just forgives and loves.  That’s what we are commanded to do as well.  Is it easy?  Not at all, but it is possible with God.  Trust me, I don’t have it all together and I know I have a long ways to go.  I’m just reminded recently that to be Christlike can hurt and not be comfortable.  But, this is how we show others who He is.