Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021
My prayer journal entry from January 5th, 2021
A reset. I think this was what everyone wanted as we entered a new year, especially after 2020. Would 2021 be the year we “get back to normal” or would a “new normal” take over permanently?
As I entered 2021, I remember there being a lot of anxiety. New Scooters 4 Less did around $1,000,000 less in gross sales in 2020 and cash flow was at an all-time low as we entered the New Year. The business had been listed for sale at this time and as you know (if you’ve been following along), I was looking for a way out. With that said, I knew that I needed to push through until the business was sold. So, that was my plan.
I wrote this journal entry my second day back to work after the holiday break.
[Re-typed and elaborated for clarity and context…]
Tuesday, January 5th, 2021 5:43 am Gainesville, FL Home Dining Room [Two things to notice here… 1. I’ve tried multiple times to wake up early and become a “morning person.” It doesn’t last. Lol. 2. I started writing down where I was, what room I was in, etc. in an effort to reflect and remember more detail about when I sat down to write in my prayer journal.]
Jesus, thank you for a positive first day back to work yesterday. Thank you for the positive attitudes from the team. Thank you for the two scooter sales. Thank you for allowing me the time to get my prep work for the podcast, etc. completed in the work day yesterday. Please let today’s work day be as positive and giving as yesterday’s.
[The one thing I’ve always loved about the start of a new semester is the new energy that often comes from the team and the students coming back. We also count on scooter sales at the beginning of semesters for cash flow and those two scooter sales showed up right when needed.]
LORD – the government released another round of PPP at the beginning of the year. I emailed Jane Harris at Florida Credit Union, but have not heard back yet. These funds could sure alleviate some cash flow headaches and stresses, so I pray that Jane will reach out to me soon and help me get this process underway. Please place your hand on this.
[Normally, I omit names from this blog for privacy reasons, but Jane Harris and the team at Florida Credit Union deserve to be highlighted. They did get back to me and went above and beyond in caring for my business and helping us get the PPP funds. They walked me through the entire process, fielded calls and texts from me outside of normal business hours, and were absolutely awesome. I’m very grateful.]
Mike [The New Scooters 4 Less General Manager at the time] and I talked yesterday about the appropriate time to tell the team my plan and desire to sell NS4L. We both agree we need to wait for something more concrete as no one likes to be pulled back and forth. I pray you will reveal to me the steps, the plan, a buyer, etc. May your will be done through this and I pray you will tell me when I need to tell the team.
Tonight we record the first podcasts of 2021. I pray that they will be powerful, uplifting, and inspiring to others. I pray you will bless this podcast with more listeners and sponsors and revenue streams I haven’t even thought of yet. Let this show grow and have powerful impact on our community, on small businesses across the globe, on my family, and on my life. Let this show be something special. [All I’ve ever wanted to do was lift up and inspire others.]
The words SURRENDER and FREEDOM radiate through me. They stick with me. Words that by definition mean different things, yet I believe if I surrender everything to you, ultimate freedom will be blessed up on me. So take this life, allow me to steward what is yours. Allow me to be the best servant I can be for you. Forgive any human-natured selfishness for wants and possessions. May my desire for wealth continue to come from a heart of taking care of my family and their families and their families and their families and to serve you and invest and help others. Show me the way.
Things like the buildings and commercial property. Should I list for sale? Should I make that money now and apply it elsewhere? Or should I keep waiting? Please bring us a tenant for 607 or bring an offer on the property. [We ended up doing a '“call for offers” on our commercial property to see what offers would come in. I wanted to have as many options as possible and let God’s plan play out.]
Make the pathway crystal clear Jesus. Please. So I will work. I will do the next right thing. I will wait to hear from you. Please know that waiting and doing nothing is so difficult for a mover like me (I know you know this). “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
I wait.
Finally, Jesus, I pray for [name omitted] and his family at The Family Church that all got Covid. Take care of them and heal them quickly. Take our tithe to TFC and multiply it. May so much good be done with this offering.
I love you.
Collin
Waiting is never fun. I believe God makes me wait, personally, because patience is a trait He is trying to build in me.
Are you waiting on God?
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This is one of two prayers I wrote down on January 5th, 2021. I’ll share the second prayer in my next blog post!
I wish you a wonderful 4th of July!
Blessings,
Collin
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