There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
As we are all well aware, seasons come and seasons go. Some seasons are a blessing, some are hard. Some seasons are long, some are short. Some are expected, and some come as sort of a surprise.
I would say the season that God opened the door for me to start a professional organizing business was certainly a surprise. “Um… Me?” I didn’t have an entrepreneur spirit and certainly never thought about creating a business from scratch. Besides, I’ve always been a Monday through Friday 9 to 5 kind of person and had a government job that nobody leaves. Well, I got down to business and created Be Neatly Organized. Not very long after that, God then said, “Hey, now I need you to quit your great benefits, short commute, safe government job and go out on your own full time.”
Sheesh! Seriously?! But I did it. And I loved it and was successful at it. God did his part to provide me the clients that needed my help. I did my part to transition my clients through major events (moving to another state, the death of a close friend, selling houses, getting out from under the load, etc.) and minor clean ups (spice cabinets and sock drawers, anyone?).
Be Neatly Organized
Organizing Your Life So You Can Enjoy It
And then God said, “Hey, now I need you to work for Me full time at RIO Revolution Church.”
“Whaaat?” I just poured my heart and soul into this business. I’ve given it my all. I really, really like working for myself, being my own boss, making my own hours and decisions, working from home. Now you want me to switch… again? So soon? Really? Like really, really??
Why is it so hard to give up something really good? Oh, it’s easy to give up bad for great but it’s so much harder to give up really good for great.
This image below always comes to mind. I liked my teddy bear. Soft, comforting, mine. I just got my teddy bear and now He was asking me to give it back to Him?
But in my heart of hearts, I knew that was what I was going to do. I was going to go to work at the church. Full time. But I was still hanging onto my teddy bear by one paw. I still wanted to do my professional organizing business as a ‘side hustle’ on Fridays.
And a funny thing happened. Several months later, I got so busy working at the church that I didn’t have time to run my business. Even as a side hustle. And then God stopped giving me the clients. And though I knew it was time to formally end my professional organizing business, I still dragged my feet. I said to Him, “Oh, but God, they will think that I didn’t have what it took. They will think that I failed!”
Gracious and loving that He is, He said, “You didn’t fail. You are being obedient. There’s a difference.”
So here I am, being obedient. I will close my business as of December 31, 2019, to focus my attention on working at RIO Revolution Church as the Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor, to the Executive Administrator, and to the Senior Leadership. Oh, I’ll still be available to do organizing for people when the need arises. It will just be me instead of a business. I like doing it. And I may post something here or there if something strikes my fancy.
When I think back about God asking me to pivot, I also think about the testimony of Joanna Gaines where God gave her a dream (opening her little store) then He asked her to close her business. It was sad for her because she loved it. But she was obedient. And look how it all turned out for her. It gives me a little hope and inspiration.
Here is her story here:
Joanna’s Testimony
So with that all said, let’s see where this new season leads. Looking forward to 2020 and wishing y’all a Happy New Year.
Blessings,
Melissa