Standing on The Rock When the Economy Crumbles

Posted On Jun 23, 2020 By admin With Comments Off

The coronavirus pandemic has created a small business owner’s dilemma. It employs numerous small business owners between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, countless want to comply with their state’s lockdown tells because they don’t want anyone calling their organisation to be harmed. Yet this is their livelihood, the highway they feed their children and households. And their employees are counting on them to provide a continuous paycheck so those workers can also feed their families. What’s an inventor to do?

Watching week after week go by and wondering if there would be any end in sight to the quarantine has put countless people on edge. Studies show that fallout from the coronavirus has already forced 100, 000 small businesses in the United Government to close permanently. Worry, nervousnes, and worse live in the minds both of the entrepreneur working with freelancers and contractors, the small business with the thousands of employees, and public service employees themselves.

We talked with two small business owners and a furloughed laborer who are facing the challenges COVID-1 9 caused. But they refuse to fall into despair, even as they watch their earnings crater.

Calamity in Colorado

Mitchell Yellen had to furlough 177 of his employees at their own families friendly businesses of his Colorado-based Altitude Hospitality Group. Business slow-witted to a move at his Garden of the Divinity Market and Cafe and Catering, Pinery at the Hill nuptial venue and Northside Social Restaurant among a number of other transactions.

The announcement that “hes to” furlough most of his faculty commemorated a sad day for both Mitchell and his employees. There was a lot of nervousnes and skepticism because no one had any control over the outcome. After he furloughed his head chef at Till Kitchen, the chef’s wife lost her job a week later.

Proposes for Hope and a Future

One new director, Ashley Phillips, worked only a few weeks before facing furlough. The report was destroying for Ashley, especially with three children at home. Ashley cried as she wondered how she would is available for her little ones and herself. As someone who suffers from depression she had to fight to keep from remained in the fetal place and giving in to the feelings of depth sadness she sometimes met hard to shake.

After a particularly difficult night she woke up and went to the fridge to prepare breakfast. The magnet had been there for a long time. But for some reason this morning the verse on it was especially meaningful. It was Jeremiah 29:11: “. . . For I know the plans I have for you ,” proclaims the Lord,” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future .”

Renewed Faith

Suddenly, she felt a sense of clarity and hope, and she turning now to her Father in heaven with refreshed faith. He would get her and their own children through. The more she are dependent upon the Lord, the more family members and friends helped her get nutrient and supplies. Her landlord made late fees, and her boss Mitchell added her and his other hires with talent posters for nutrient and personal credits to pay the mortgage.

She promotes workers who are suffering to look to the Lord.” Yes, terms are tough ,” Ashley says,” But He gives your needs. He might not give you everything you miss, but He’ll provision the things you need .”

Future Plans

Mitchell faced a major quandary. He felt a great sense of responsibility for his employees like Ashley, which was why he supplied gift posters and personal credits for them. He cared he could do more. At the same time, his small businesses were losing a great deal of money now as well.

Thankfully, he had made some smart decisions in the past, principally standing away from debt. He felt his businesses could brave the squall because of that. He had faith that he’d be able to reopen and that customers would return.

Funds from the federal government’s Payment Protection Plan arrived gradually. But to those used, he hoped to bring back all the furloughed works within the next three to six months. Still, he’s finding it hard to put together a ended game plan since the governor had issued tells that restaurant reopenings would take place in 50% chapters. At this pitch he is opening some of his businesses like Sprig and Till Kitchen restaurants at 50% capacity. He hopes to be able to reopen the rest of his businesses at full capability within the month.

The Importance of a Strong Foundation

As he talks with fellow small business owners, Mitchell is learning that some are trembling with anxiety over whether they’ll be able to reopen at all in these difficult business days. Mitchell encourages them by targeting them to God and the Scriptures. He tells them know that this is all temporary. It’s possible that some business owners could be wiped out, he says, but numerous will rebuild again.

To the awful ones fast losing hope for tomorrow, Mitchell says it’s important to have a strong foot built on Jesus Christ, the solid rock. Hope crumbles when foundations are built on sand, he says.

Loss of Freedom

He supports them by encouraging and praying for them as they wonder what each new day will bring. Mitchell says he can’t help but question some of the motivations behind impeding much of the country on lockdown. To him it’s troubling that people can go to a liquor store, get an abortion, get a tattoo and get dopes, but they can’t go to church. He says Americans are watching their liberties slip away.

But as a worshiper, Mitchell says he realizes that his citizenship is not here on earth; it’s in heaven. Now, sovereignties can be take away, but not in heaven. He believes the world is starting to see the early signs of the end periods discussed at length in the Bible’s notebook of Revelation. He says beings should be prepared because this may not be the last time they experience loss of sovereignties. Mitchell says worshipers understand that you have to have a different perspective on the tough times the world is facing. He says now is the time for Christians to be a dawn in this world to those who are lost and searching.

A Grim Reminder

Mitchell says this time prompts him of 9-11 when he was in the air, one hour out of New York and the captain was forced to land in Nova Scotia instead. Numbers of terrorism had raised the World Trade Center fortress down.

As the captain relayed the bad news while they were still in the air and flight attendants lamented in the aisles, Mitchell threw his head in his hands and envisioned, “I’m going to die today.” Moments last-minute, he realise they were being re-routed to Nova Scotia. After the plane arrived, he drove 16 hours to Montreal in the last rental car out of the airport, then boarded a drill for the rest of his journey. It would make five days to get home.

Because he and other fares were forced to leave all their luggage behind, Mitchell had only his Bible with him as he traveled out of Canada on the develop. He devoured 3 meals per day with the same group of beings. When he saw the hopelessness and the questions on the faces of his fellow passengers, he knew it was time to share his knowledge of Christ Jesus, and he was grateful he had his Bible.

As the passengers started talking honestly to Mitchell like he was a pastor, train from his time as a youth pastor knocked into action. Mitchell says God located him right where he was that day to let the people know that God was their anchor and that it was time to return to or came to see you faith in Him.

He appreciates the same worry and fright now in this time of COVID-1 9, and says that some are even expressing anger at God. Mitchell reads this crisis as a strong occasion for Christians to share God’s love.

Standing on the Rock

Even though he had to furlough numerous works at his small businesses, Mitchell is grateful that the executive team on his personnel could keep working during the lockdown. He was able to keep his cater business open and some of his diners could at least reach deliveries. Still, he’s seen a tremendous loss of revenue with all of their major patrons canceling their large order. Mitchell hopes business will start to pick up again by July. For now, he’s glad he’s been able to impart his managers and some staff back as some of his eateries start the dine-in option again.

And while he’s still unsure what tomorrow continues, instead of being rocked by any potential bad news, Mitchell says he’ll really is ongoing to stand on The Rock.

Cautious in California

Like Mitchell, small business owners Lindsay Pimentel and her husband Jorge also are located within a hard blot. Their Paycheck Protection funds were also slow in arriving. The two have ranged an occupational therapy business in California called Hand to Shoulder Rehab for more than twenty years. Their private practice specializes in hand, elbow, shoulder and cervical prickle harms. They have 8 therapists including Lindsay and 18 employees.

When the couple first discover the bulletin that they might have to shut down their business because of the coronavirus, they hampered an all-staff assemble to coalesce everyone. Eventually, their small business would be considered essential but there would be some converts. For Lindsay, the first few days following the announcement were extremely stressful.

” Everyone breathed great suspicion, skepticism and nervousnes ,” Lindsay said.” I has not been possible to discover the forest for the trees .”

Losing Sleep

Forty-five percent of Lindsay’s caseload stopped overnight as panics over the virus and lockdown dictates obstructed buyers apart. She didn’t sleep much as she pored over possible programs to enlist in as a behavior to help offset her employees’ wages. She felt a huge sense of responsibility for her staff and her patients, but now the loss of income from her small business would also impact her family including Lindsay’s husband and their three sons.

It was a challenge for Lindsay to establish reduced work hours, provide services for those who needed to come and then support the staff’s feeling needs. The staff included several single moms who didn’t know what to do since institutions were closed. Their minors had to be home, yet they needed to work to feed their families. A couple of Lindsay’s employees decided to go on temporary unemployment in order to be allowed to care for their families.

No More Laughter

Lindsay watched over the weeks as dwell sucked the morale, laugh, and exuberance out of the work environment. Her small business faced many changes involving brand-new conventions, new measures, brand-new paperwork, new protocols to follow. Her proletarians felt devastated. Masks now embraced the usual smiles and softened the regular laughter. Suddenly their” clinic temperament” was less vibrant. They could no longer predict each other’s expressions.

She hoped things get changed promptly, since smiles and humour are a good antidote to sting and feeling.

Lindsay and her husband invested a lot of time crying. She recalls that some of those petitions were about her own strife and ambivalence about steps to take. As a utopian, Lindsay normally seems weeks, months and even years ahead. Now, new circumstances thrust her to look one moment, one day at a time.

Keeping Spirits Up

After a lot of petition one darknes, Lindsay woke up the following morning with huge clarity and decisiveness about what to do, and in that moment she found peace. She was determined to pass that peace on to others. She made her team know that even though she and her husband did not have all the answers, they would stand by their employees and support them.

As a nature to keep spirits up, Lindsay and her staff put together a co-op promising to help each other. If one of them fell short on food, bathroom tissue, eggs, milk, all the things the storages could no longer preserve stocked, the others would pitch in. They played trivia games, brought in cupcakes for birthday revelries, and hampered weekly faculty intersects with amusing works planned. Lindsay and her husband provisioned gift placards for the team.

She continues to keep her works inspired every day. She checks in on everyone, feeling out their needs and their stressors and she specifies convenience when ruptures fall or when there is confusion or uncertainty.

Slow Gains

Because Lindsay’s small business is a specialty entity, they are still seeing post-operative contingencies, particularly worker’s comp specimen. While they are fortunate in that regard, they have still lost 50% of their immediate income. What’s really tough is that remote and telework has caused a delay in funds from services they provided 60 -9 0 days ago. That has slow-footed policy pays even more than usual.

At first, Lindsay and her husband enrolled their staff into a piece share program, which means that instead of laying off employees, they were able to keep everyone employed at no less than 40% of their wages and Unemployment Insurance assistances pick up the other 60%. But as of May, officials have not treated their container and employees have not received any additional wages.

Faith in Troubling Times

After the first few days of disturbance extended, Lindsay felt a penetrating smell of serenity. She knew God would come through as always. Even if they needed to make changes and do things differently, she held onto the knowledge that He would supply ability as they implemented those changes.

The rehab did receive stimulus funds through the Payroll Protection Program, which means they can now bring everyone back for 40 hours a week. She taking into account that” a God thing ,” because she knows countless small and medium-sized businesses have not received any kind of funding.

Lindsay found another blessing in these troubling eras. Since the rehab is not yet at full ability, her squad is able to take the time to finish projects they weren’t able to get to before COVID. They still face challenges and all the funds are not yet in place, but she’s happy that all her employees are working full time once again and receiving some pay.

Staying in the Yoke

Lindsay found that other small business owners she knows are hindered, annoyed and thinking about closing their doors permanently. She tells them that if God is at the center of their lives and their work is” as unto Him ,” then He will take care of the business. God will help direct them, give them wisdom and provide for the things he desires to see prosper.

She shares Matthew 11:28 -3 0 with them:” Come to me all you who are exhausted and inconvenienced and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am soothing and humble in nerve, and you will find rest for your someones. For my bondage is easy and my headache is light-headed .”

Lindsay recalls a saying that finding rest is staying in the bondage, doing only what Jesus says and when He says to do it. Straining too far ahead, worrying about the future or lagging too far behind will cause unrest and stress, including a season when both the present and the future are uncertain. We must keep our eyes on him and stay in the yolk, she says, because He is our defender.

When Sands are Shifting, Stand on the Rock

As a mother herself, Lindsay wraps up with a special sense for other mothers: Your children are watching you up close and personal. The room you are dealing with the global crisis, the place your help comes from, and the amount of faith “youve got in” your God makes a difference. She spurs parents to induce the most of teaching your children through your own walk, and indicate whatever it is you genuinely conceive about the God you require your children to believe in. Family is prized, she says. All the wealths in the world can’t oust the perfection of house acquaintance and construct a bequest of faith. Make this time count.

Lindsay says that Christians are to always have our ears inclined to His will. His Word is always true and clear. As long as we stay surrendered to His will for us, He can leader and direct us, help us reinvent ourselves, modify the course of something that’s stagnating and make it new again. The key is securing our eyes on Him, as you do whatever He has called you to do. She says this can apply to small business owners who stand firm on Christ the Solid Rock, even in the transfer sand of tempestuou economic times.

( c) 2020 by Focus on the Family. All freedoms earmarked.

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