There’s an element of dying to yourself that involves failure.  As Christians, we are not supposed to necessarily be considered winners in this world.

I suck at losing and failing.  The thought of losing or being perceived as a failure makes my skin crawl.  I have spent years cultivating an image of success. Nice things, being a business owner, showing a strong work ethic.  These are all things that meant success to me, and I tried to find comfort in all of these things.

I opened my business on March 1, 2016, and I am closing my business on June 3, 2019.  This has been a hard thing for my pride. I never started out to only be open for three years and then close up shop.  Mary Beth and I expected to run our business for many decades and then age into old people and retire.

God had different plans.

Sometimes He will give you something that you desire with all of your heart, and then He will ask you to give it back to Him and to trust Him.  

A close friend of mine was praying with me a few months ago, and he had an image while he was praying.  He said that he saw two of his old horses. One horse was named Skip. Skip was a steady, older horse. You could rely on him for a smooth and uneventful ride.  The other horse’s name was Sugar. Sugar was a bit more on the wild side. He was unpredictable. But, riding him was never boring. My friend felt like God was calling us to ride Sugar.  

Keeping the business open would be like going for a ride on Skip.  It would be steady; it would be easy. But, I don’t believe that’s what God is calling us to do.  I think He wants us to hop on Sugar and trust Him with the details.

So, here we are.  It’s June 1, and the office will be closing Monday.  The ride has already been wild, but man, it’s been full of God.  

I am incredibly thankful for the last three years of my life.  God’s handiwork has been evident throughout this time, and I have been incredibly fortunate to meet some of the best people around.  

I would never have the professional opportunities in front of me without the experiences of the last few years.  God’s provision is evident.

God provides.  God protects. God is powerful.

I am incredibly excited for the next steps.  All I know that each step will be wild; it will be great, and it will be full of Him.

The last three years have taught me that is okay to fall short in this life.  We’re all going to fall short in our walks. That’s kind of the point. Our worldly shortcomings, a lot of the time, are just opportunities for us to die to ourselves.

I challenge you to embrace changes of plan when they come your way.  Lean into the roadblocks. Trust God with the details. His plans are perfect.

“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” – Philippians 1:21 ESV

Ps, I have nothing but great things to say about my previous employer. I met the best people I’ve ever worked with through that company, and I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity. We had a challenging period, but I’m thankful for that period of time.