Writing on the Wall?
My prayer journal entry from Wednesday, January 13th 2021
Have you ever hit roadblock after roadblock but kept pushing and pushing? We live in a society that teaches us, “If you want something bad enough, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get it.” I’ve learned that we have to be very careful of this. The Bible teaches us that perseverance (when placed in the proper context) is an important characteristic of a Christian life, but so is living in accordance with God’s will. We may need to take a step back and ask ourselves, “Is this God’s will?”
On the flip side, have you ever had moments in life where it all just comes together PERFECTLY? Everything just clicks. There’s no doubt in your mind that “it was meant to be.” These are my favorite times in life and they ALWAYS exist when I’m living in accordance with the will of God.
“If it’s of the flesh, you will have to force it. If it is of the (Holy) Spirit, it will flow.”
- Pastor Chuck Swindoll
[Re-typed and elaborated for context and clarity…]
Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 7:28a NS4L office
Jesus,
Give me peace. My mind keeps running in circles about this business, the property, my financial future, jobs, businesses, and the whole works. With all the “writing on the wall,” I feel like it is time for me to walk away from this (and I know we have been here before, so I apologize). I guess I just want reassurance.
[The truth is I was seeking reassurance on what I wanted, but wasn’t getting it, which is why I was anxious and not at peace. If only we just sat back and trusted God. Looking back, I see that my flesh wanted to force what I wanted.]
It sure would be a lot easier if you brought in a buyer for the business within the next month and I knew money would go in the bank and rent would be coming from the new owner. Please bring us a qualified buyer. I’ve heard nothing from [the name of our business broker].
I ask myself… “Ok. What if it is not sold? What if April 1st gets here and we are in this same place?”
[April 1st, 2021 was the date that I set in my head as the “have to have a decision made by” date. Since I saw “the writing on the wall” that we were on our way to closing the business, I wasn’t ordering inventory. I also hadn’t started promoting summer scooter storage, an important source of revenue for the shop. April 1 was “the date.” My general thought process? Either the business would be sold and I would start helping the new owner order inventory and promote summer storage to ensure a smooth transition OR we would begin liquidating what inventory was left and close the business OR we would survive and start to do those things for ourselves. Either way, I needed to know by April. April is when the end of the spring semester wraps up and if we were going to promote storage and order inventory for the fall semester, we’d need to do it by April at the latest.]
LORD - Should I liquidate it? Should I work a deal with [local scooter competitor]? Should I keep going? I just ask that you make it perfectly clear Jesus. I feel like everything has been clear to this point and I’m probably just second-guessing everything, so some reassurance would be great. [Through this I’ve learned that when you are not at peace about something, you can take it as a clear sign that it isn’t the right direction or that God’s plan is different in some way. Again… I wanted reassurance on what I felt was clearly “the writing on the wall” as in… We’re finished. It’s over. Done. But God would decide when it’s over.]
LORD - please bring me a renter for 607 [a 2,000 sq ft building on our commercial property]. Knowing that income was coming in from renting the property would be reassuring and bring some peace to the situation. Please bring clear resolve and if it is your will, let the following things happen rapidly:
Please allow [business broker] to find a buyer for the business.
Please let me rent out 607 for a good income.
Please help me acquire $200,000 to pay [good friends and investors] back their money. They are counting on Repaint to pay for their children’s college and this pressure is another handcuff preventing me from achieving true Freedom in life. I want to return their money to them. [I’ve shared this before, but the people that invested in Repaint The Wall, the media company we started in 2018, were personal friends. Just know, when you take on a personal friend or family member’s money as an investment, it comes with extra weight. Though I was grateful for their belief in me, I won’t do this again.]
Thank you, Jesus.
Please help. Love you.
Collin
Today’s final thoughts…
Ultimately, I wanted out. I secretly wanted the “writing on the wall.” Are you at peace? Ask yourself, are you really trusting God’s plan or are you trying to force your own?
Blessings to you and yours as we enter the hectic month of August this week! Have a wonderful week and thank you again for reading!
Best always,
Collin
Just for fun, a selfie I took on January 13th, 2021…
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