Seasons

My prayer journal entry from January 15th, 2021

Sep 04, 2023

[Re-typed and elaborated for clarity and context…]

Friday, January 15th, 2021 9:34a NS4L Office

Jesus,

This morning I walked into the dealership and in a conversation with [team members] I found out that [team member] got us a scooter [sale] referral. I pulled out $50 cash I had and gave it to him. He was refusing to take it but finally did. The rest of the team was surprised. It feels so good to be able to do that. Thank you for letting that $50 be in my pocket. I look forward to days when I will be able to do that more often.

Thank you for the scooter sales yesterday. We sold 5 scooters, 31 so far this month. I’m very grateful. Thank you for Jane Harris at Florida Credit Union. She helped me get the PPP stuff squared away for the second time. We should know more by the end of the month, so I pray that this money will come through and alleviate some cash flow headaches (though it has been much better this month than last - thank you for that).

[In a previous post, I mentioned that I normally blot out names, but I wanted to give recognition to Jane Harris and the team at Florida Credit Union. They really stepped up and helped my business in this time of need. I’m so grateful. 100% of the PPP funds we received were used for payroll at New Scooter 4 Less.]

[Owner and GM] from [one of our scooter distributors] are supposed to meet today about NS4L. Jesus, if it is your will, let them purchase my business. [It wasn’t his will and sometimes that can be a difficult thing to process in the moment, but having faith that God’s plan is better than our own is key!]

Jesus- I’m here today. I’m here to serve. Show me where you want me to be. Talk to me all day. Let your spirit flow within. Help me be a better leader today. Put the things in front of me that I should be working on. Help me be a leader that people will remember forever. Work through me. Let me be the ultimate steward of what is yours.

[The best times in my life have always been when I’m in tune with the Holy Spirit. I’ll be walking through the day, consistently praying and conversing with Jesus, thanking him after each sale, connection, and opportunity. Asking him for guidance through the difficult moments of the day. Letting him know I trust whatever he is working on. This is the place I always want to be. The way I have been able to get to this place is by reflecting and remembering these seasons and what it means to be ALL IN on God’s plan and to completely surrender it all to him.]

Finally, the family and I are taking a spontaneous trip to Treasure Island and will visit the zoo and aquarium [in Tampa]. I’m very much looking forward to it. Bless this time and let us create memories that last eternity.

[At the time, my parents owned a condo in Treasure Island, so this was a fun way for the family and me to break away and spend some quality time with each other outside of Gainesville. I’m very grateful for these memories.]

I love you so much, Jesus.

Collin

Today’s final thoughts…

Thank God for seasons. When I read the prayer above, I reflect on this season of my life. I remember the concern and the hope I had. I remember the smiles on my kid’s faces and trying to hide the anxiety I had about business from them.

Today is Labor Day, September 4th, 2023. We just wrapped up another August at the dealership and (thankfully) it was a busy one. As much as I am grateful for the busy month of August, I’m also grateful for the “organized chaos” to subside just enough to breathe again. I’m excited for the season of fall. I’m excited for what God has planned next as we head toward wrapping up our 19th year in business.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 - 11
There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:
²    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³    a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸    a time to love and a time to hate,1
    a time for war and a time for peace.
⁹What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.