"Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."
― William Jennings Bryan
Change is an essential part of life. It takes us from where we are to where we
need to go. Dictionary.com describes it as "to make the future course of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone" Yet, as a society, we cling
so tightly to what we know to be secure and safe and thus extinguish any hope of lighting the fire within us all. Change can lead to so many things. Change can lead to failure, fear, anxiety, embarrassment,
and the loss of things we hold dear. I
would dare say that most view change with these words. I challenge that notion and plead that no
great things come without change.
Without change we are stagnant, we are chained to our present, afraid of
our future, and regretting our past.
It has been 513 days since I walked away from safety and
security. With a wife and two young
sons, I chose to leave the financial security that would have provided for my
family for decades to come. I chose not
to allow “the rut” to ruin another generation in my family. I risked everything so that my boys would
know “hope” and “dreams” and how to fight for both of them. Sometimes it takes putting it all on the line
and placing your faith in God to lead you.
During that time, we founded an exciting company that has
changed the lives of those around us.
That was followed by the failure and embarrassment as the company
faltered and died. At that point, all we
had was faith. With nothing to rely on
to support the family, we struggled to hold on to anything. We sold it all, everything we could in order
to keep food on the table. We collected
unemployment to keep a roof over our heads.
The job market was all but dried up.
And then, we were told that we couldn’t collect unemployment, worse yet,
we had to pay it all back! It was in
that moment when doubt begins to creep in.
When doubt starts to tell you that you may have made a gravely poor
decision and now your family will suffer because of it. We had no income, nothing left to sell, and
now our own government has thrown us to the curb.
The amazing thing about creativity is that it shines when
all else is dark. Our minds came alive
with idea’s, but we had doubts as to what might be viable. We clasped on to anything in order to find
something that would allow us to live.
Within weeks, there was light.
Not bright, but a solid glow.
It was not long before “the rut” would show itself
again. It’s amazing how Satan always
shows up near your weakest hour hoping to knock you off from God’s path. Finally came a job offer, but an offer in
engineering. Could I go back to the life
I fought so hard to escape? For my
family, I had to try.
By the time the first day rolled around I could feel God
pounding on my soul. Nothing felt
right. The people were amazing, but my
heart was shattered. It was on day three
that I began talking with those closest to me, namely my wife. With the drive, I was now working 11 hour
days. I found myself heading down the
path of my father, chasing the money. I really
grew up without a father. Yes, I had a
Dad, but I was always missing and praying for a Father. In fact, I still do. Now I was subjecting my sons to the same
childhood and it was killing me.
That night I made another major decision. I, forever, stated that I would not go down
quietly. “The Rut” would not hold me or
my family hostage. I would be willing to
surrender what little we had left in order to pursue our dreams and give our
boys the future they deserve. Little did
I know what was still to come.
