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The year of 2007 marked a new season in our lives. For the first time in the economic growth of our business, the gross sales and net profit were down. The financial people in the know were saying that it would be similar to other recessions in the past and could last possibly eighteen months. Trying to be optimistic, we put on our rose-colored glasses and hoped for the best. The list of bad decisions we made is too long and too humbling to go into at this time. We truly realize that our past success was only because of the Lord!
I was a Sociology major in college and my wife had a high school diploma. We were being overwhelmed by the financial stuff that was going on around us and we struggled to understand it. We were not seeking out sound financial counseling and were trying to stay hopeful and positive. When the stock and real estate markets took a hit and dropped 20 to 30 percent, we also suffered. Being in the business of providing furniture (the last thing to go into a home), we saw our business drop. As manufacturing companies laid off employees in an attempt to survive, we were one of the first to feel that impact also. Being a relatively young business (only ten years old) and prospering from our start up in 2005, we made the mistake of borrowing too much money to buy our second store and inventory.
We were faced with a decision. How could we survive 2007, make it through 2008 and hang on for the recovery? Positive people would have been proud of us; we polished the rose-colored glasses and borrowed more money on the equity in our businesses. We were going to be survivors and do whatever it took to hang in there. We cut back in all “luxury” purchases and eliminated most of the “want” items and reevaluated what the word “needs” meant. Not to mention how much more our prayer life increased as we cried out to the Lord for financial success. We kept up with our commitments to the church and our children while we tried to understand why we, committed Christians for 32 years, were facing this financial trial.
Our brothers and sisters in the Faith were telling us that we needed to stand and not doubt. Our legalistic brothers and sisters were telling us that we must be in sin, that we were under some judgment from God. Our old nature wanted to rise up and smack them both, but fortunately for them, the Holy Spirit had given us self-control. We had one daily prayer. Why was this happening to us and for what purpose? How could God be glorified and raised up if we were to go out of business? What is happening here, Lord?
Jeff Piery is an inquirer and a seeker of the Truth. If you have any comments or questions, you can contact Jeff by email at jeffback2basics@gmail.com.
