NOT IN THE "MOOED"?

When is the last time you ever woke up and your feelings tried to take you out before you'd even swung your legs over the edge of the bed and placed your feet on the floor?  Have you ever wondered like I have, what would happen if you had not given in to these emotions? 

This summer I found myself facing a challenge that was staring me down.  My husband and I opened up a small seasonal business this year.  But, after a month I decided that I was not in the "mooed"(mood) to go forward with this anymore.

Isn't our snowball stand the cutest?  The upside was that we had a great team of people working with us.  The aesthetic renovations really made it attractive.  The products we used were great.  The first two weeks were really slow and we had stacked employees, and they didn't have enough business to have more than one person there at a time. Those were our errors, and were an easy fix.

Then there was the city permit that would only allow us to stay at our location for 90 days.  This would hardly make a dent in the monetary outlay we had made.  We had hoped for 8 mos a year to run the business and to close during the cooler months.

The next hit was writing paychecks out of our pockets rather than from the sales as we had hoped.  I could not see how get through and get on with it.  When I felt the lowest and the weakest, the realization dawned on me, that it was not only about what I could do.  It actually was all about what God wanted to do.  Was I willing to trust and really believe that He was capable to tackle this with us?  Either I would begin to believe or not.  We chose to believe and pray.

Immediately, peace took over and the sales looked a little better.  Business picked up and we started having many return who were from the neighborhood.  By the 6th week we were able to make payroll with just a small supplement from our personal account.  The third product was a joy that came after stepping out in faith.  I want be in the mooed to believe, so why do I wallow in fear and self pity at times?  Our minds just need to be rebooted for thinking that the impossible is always possible.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.  Well... then why not go straight through those tough times or circumstances and let God prove just how true it is!  Better to walk by faith rather than by sight.  All I have to do is trust.  ALL???

I'm not in this alone.  I have a faithful, loving God who is right there beside me.  He will never leave me alone no matter what I face.  I have his promise on this.  Then, God gave me a dreamer for a husband who has more faith and balances out my practicality to take a few risks like this.

So, next time a trial pops up and takes me by surprise, even when I am not in the "mooed" to push on, I will just remember, this little lesson... I can do ALL things through Christ Jesus.  I can walk on.  I can see this through.  I am not alone.  I have his angels who are charged with watching over me.  I am his child who He cares for and will look after and take care of.  I will not give up.  I can.  I can.  I can.  His promises are true. 

So, you know what I have to say to myself when I do not feel in the "mooed"?  If I test things, rethink, and find that I am not walking outside of His will, then I will give up the gloom.  I do not walk in my strength alone... I am walking in His.

Oh, by the way, we are praying that the city will renew our permit and if this is possible, then we see it as a green light and are trusting that our little stand will be a new tiny landmark in this community.  My husband has dreamed this up, I have also worked to make it materialize, my son added his enthusiasm and delight at working around shaved ice and syrups, and God gives the increase for our labor. 

Now, I am in the "mooed"!