We had been married for five years when our faith was really tested.
We had done the right thing by telling Doc about our plans to move but, sometimes, just because you've done the right thing doesn't mean that the other person will. Brian had worked hard for this gentleman and had made him a good deal of money over the previous five years but that didn't seem to matter now. And at the first of December he told Brian that December 31st would be his last day! (Wow! Deja vu!)
There was so much to do! Brian had written up a great business plan and was presenting it to banks and asking for a small business loan but we weren't having any luck getting a loan approved. My student loans were paid off and my car nearly paid off but we still had a high payment on a Ford Expedition, a mortgage, Brian's large student loans and plenty of "everyday" kinds of bills to pay. And we were suddenly without any income what-so-ever.
One night I told Brian, "I don't know what's going to happen but I do know that I love you and that won't change. I would love you even if you were a plumber. It doesn't matter to me what you do for a living and it won't matter if any of this works out like we hope it will. What matters is that we will be together."
In February we found a great location for an office and we started construction on the build out in a little shopping center just down the street from our church. Our landlord rolled the cost of the construction into our lease payment so that we needed very little money up front. We also got a very small business loan and used that for some equipment and supplies.
We were still trying to sell the house in McDonough and were looking for an apartment or a house to rent close to the office. And finally in April the house sold! We made just $1,000 from the sale of the house! Enough for one month's rent! But at least we didn't have that mortgage hanging over our heads.
We happened to drive through the little neighborhood directly across the street from the office just to see if there were any houses available for rent. There was a For Rent sign in the yard of home at the back of the neighborhood and we stopped to write down the number and inquire about the rent when a woman came walking out to her car. She asked us if we were looking for a house to rent - she told us she was just about to put hers up for rent but didn't have a sign in the yard yet and she had come to ask this man some questions about how to go about renting her home out. She was being transferred at her job and would be moving to Miami tomorrow. She gave us her key and told us where her house was and just let us walk through on our own! It was perfect and what she wanted per month for rent was in our range! What a God Thing to meet her that day!!!
In June we opened up the office! Brian had not worked since December 31st - six months. And just because he was working now didn't mean that everything was suddenly alright. But it did mean that there was hope that it would. That at least now we had something to focus on. Our family and our friends in our small group at church had all pitched in financially, emotionally and prayerfully.
I helped Brian in the office for a few months answering phones, checking people out at the front desk and calling insurance companies. Cameron and Parker stayed in the office with us and so our little family was together even at work. Naturally, things started out very slowly but Brian was doing what he had been called to do and we were right where God wanted us.
Depending on Him. Celebrating our sixth anniversary
What did we learn during our sixth year?
And here's a link to Brian's contribution to today's post. What did we learn during our sixth year?
- Do the right thing - It may not turn out the way you hoped but at least you're not losing sleep because of an unclear conscience.
- Tell him - Your husband needs to hear it said that you love him not for where he works or for what he does for a living or for the amount on his paycheck but that you love HIM ... period.
- Back him up - If your husband (or your wife) has a dream then give them enough room and time to try to make it come true.
- Share - Don't be afraid to tell people that you're going through some tough times. You need someone in your corner praying for you.
