Trusting God’s Plan: The Door I Wanted vs. the Door He Opened

For a long time, I wanted the online business.

I thought growing online would give me more freedom, allow me to homeschool my kids, and give me better profit margins without the overhead of a storefront.

And honestly, the overhead scared me.

Rent. Utilities. Insurance. Inventory. All of it.

I thought staying home and growing online would be the smarter business decision.

But growing online is much MUCH harder than I thought.

And the storefront I was so afraid of ended up helping me grow my business in ways I never expected.

When I imagined growing a business, I pictured freedom.

I pictured working from home, having more flexibility with my family, and being able to homeschool my kids without being tied to a physical location.

A storefront seemed like the opposite of that.

I imagined long boutique hours, being open seven days a week, and constantly having to be at the shop.

How could I have a storefront AND raise my family?

But there was so much I didn't consider about opening a shop in a small town.

For instance, rent in a small town is a lot more manageable and the hours are a lot easier to keep. No one is out and about after 5 unless there are afternoon activities. 

In addition my boutique happens to be right down road from my kids’ school. When they're done, they walk to the boutique. Sometimes they do their schoolwork on the couch or at the table in my back room.

This wasn't the door I thought I wanted.

But somehow, it has fit our life in ways I never could have planned or imagined.

The Business Blessing I Didn't Expect

A physical storefront has given us something I couldn't create online in quite the same way: a place for people to come and gather.

People walk through the door.

They see the products.

They talk to me. They share deep heartfelt stories.

They share with their friends and then they come back.

And over time, those little interactions have helped my business grow and have been the biggest blessing to my soul.

The storefront I was afraid would hold me back became one of the very things that helped me move forward.

And that wasn't even the biggest blessing.

I Didn't Know What Season Was Coming

There was another part of the story I couldn't see yet.

My family moved to Tennessee, and around that same time, a lot of our friends moved away too.

And suddenly, we were here.

Without the family and friends we were so used to having around.

I didn't know how lonely that season was going to feel.

But God did.

Stepping out of my home and into the boutique gave me something I didn't know I would need so badly:

People.

People from our community.

People who walked through my doors and shared pieces of their lives with me.

People who have trusted me with stories I'll never forget.

Some of those stories I've kept close to my heart. Others I've had the privilege of sharing here on Instagram.

These are people I never would have met if God had answered my prayers the way I thought He should.

God Knew I Needed Community

I'm one of those people who, left to my own devices, can isolate myself.

I can stay home, get inside my own head, and let my thoughts take over.

And that's not where God wants me either.

The boutique has given me a place to connect.

To listen.

To encourage.

To laugh.

To pray.

To meet people I never would have crossed paths with otherwise.

Some of the most beautiful parts of owning this business have had nothing to do with sales.

They've been the conversations.

The stories.

The relationships.

The people who have walked through that door.

We See the Door. God Sees What's on the Other Side.

When I look back now, I can see so many blessings hidden inside the door I was afraid to open.

I thought I needed an online business.

God knew I needed a place in my community.

I thought a storefront would make homeschooling harder.

God built it into our daily life.

I thought the storefront would be a financial burden.

God used it to help grow my business.

I thought I needed to figure everything out before I took the next step.

God already knew what was waiting on the other side.

There is my way of imagining things...

And then there is God's way.

And His way has been so much better than anything I could have orchestrated on my own.

Maybe You're Standing in Front of a Door Too

Maybe you're standing in front of a door right now that isn't the one you wanted.

Maybe you're wondering why God isn't opening the door you've been praying for.

Maybe you're afraid that the path in front of you isn't going to look anything like the life you imagined.

I don't know what's on the other side of your door.

But I've learned to trust God.

He sees the season ahead.

He sees the people I'll meet.

He sees the things I'll need.

He sees the blessings I can't see yet.

And sometimes the door we didn't want...

is the very door that leads us exactly where we needed to be.

We see the door.

God sees what's on the other side.