My son Levi married a lovely girl last month and I cannot express the joy that flooded our lives as we witnessed their beautiful wedding. It doesn’t seem like very long ago that Levi and I were an unbreakable unit of two. When my first husband died suddenly, Levi was 16 years old. Life became instantly, just the two of us facing all the fatherless and widow concerns coming our way. In one day, we went from a thriving family to a surviving unit of two and I was pushed to a place of finding new revenue streams for our future. Thankfully, we had a strong support system in our extended family, while the two of us pressed into the Lord together and experienced His faithfulness.

 

 

Often, circumstances can push us past the fear of failure, simply because we feel we have nothing to lose. When Levi graduated from high school and decided to attend Charis Bible College, I knew I was supposed to go as well, but I didn’t know how it was going to work. The miraculous provision we received month after month for years, is a story for another day. During this time, I found myself stepping out in obedience to the voice of the Lord and moving in directions I had never envisioned for myself. I found gifts and talents I had only used for hobbies, before the Lord shone His light in that area. It was an amazing time.

 

However, please be fully assured—it was a lot of hard work. Levi and I would be in the classroom or the office all day, then we would load/unload trucks and stage houses all evening and into the night. I knew I had heard the Lord tell me to start a home staging business, but He never said it was going to be easy. What He did say was that He would be with me and He would take responsibility for making it a success.

 

 

It is the Lord who turns surviving into thriving, but it is our determination to see Him work that is the motivating force behind every new revenue stream. Come hang out with the Level Up Ladies at our next free webinar: Multiple Revenue Streams–Creatively Growing Your Income on June 27, 2023 at 7pm CT

Living to Thrive,

Karen Conrad