Not My Plans

A few days ago a young man came into the store to see what we have and to introduce himself and his business. As he was leaving, he commented on the cross we have hanging behind the desk with these words,"I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good and not calamity, to give you a hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) He asked if we were a "Christian business" of if we just sold that kind of artwork. I wasn't quite sure how to answer him...

On the one hand, we don't advertise ourselves as a Christian business, because our mission is to support all parents, regardless of what they believe. I would hate for anyone who doesn't share my faith to feel uncomfortable in our store. What a person believes or doesn't believe has no relationship to my desire to help her have the best possible experience shopping during her pregnancy or getting the breastfeeding support she needs.

On the other hand, I truly view my business as belonging to the Lord. In my personal life, I seek to honor Him in all I do, and my business is a natural extension of that. I regularly pray for our moms and ask God for wisdom when I'm working with moms and babies. I don't always talk about God in the store, but He is never far from my mind because I fully recognize that the success of my business is in His hands. I know that I can't do it on my own. I truly need divine wisdom and guidance. When I am week, He is strong. I'm so glad that my Father knows the plans He has for me!

So that's exactly how I responded to my new friend. It opened up a door for a wonderful conversation as he shared his faith with me and talked about his upcoming wedding. I felt incredibly blessed and thankful for the cross hanging behind my counter that opened the door to such a terrific conversation!