Finding Your Purpose in a Season of Perseverance

Finding Your Purpose in a Season of Perseverance
Written by Andrea Weaver

Hi everyone! I am new to the WFRN team and am so excited to be writing for the first time to all the wonderful listeners and supporters of WFRN. My first day was only a month and a week ago but it feels like I’ve been a part of the WFRN family for years. Before God called me to WFRN, I owned my own business for three years. It was a women’s clothing boutique in the University Park Mall. I’ve always had a passion for business and fashion so why not put the two together? In July 2019, I was a fresh graduate of Ball State University and had no clue what my next phase of life would entail. My dad, an entrepreneur himself, encouraged me to start my own business because he heard me talking about my dream for a while. And so three months later, I opened my first online store. A store with 6 different women’s clothing pieces. And on my first day open, I made one sale... and it was from my sister-in-law. But if anyone knows me, they know I am not a quitter. That one sale inspired me to keep going, and so I did. One month later I opened a small little kiosk in the University Park Mall. I worked seven days a week, 9-10 hours a day for about two months. Needless to say, burn out hit very quickly. During this time I was extremely tired, I had no social life, and hardly any customers. I didn’t understand why God wasn’t helping my business grow into a successful business when He called me to do this. Or why he would lead me into this role where I was slaving away with no pay off in sight. I would drive home crying almost every day because I was not only exhausted but felt like I was wasting the best days of my life away. I was in my early twenties and while all my friends were having fun, I was driving a 40-minute commute to work every day plus working 10 hours at a tiny store with little to no customers to help my hard work pay off.  But with that, I knew that God has a plan for all of us and His timing is absolutely perfect. So I knew if I were to fail at this, it was for a reason and for a purpose. And I felt at peace by that. God did not give me the spirit of quitting, He gave me the spirit of perseverance.

Fast forward a couple months and I was approached by the mall to fill an in-line store that was empty. It just so happened to be the perfect size for the inventory I had and it opened my eyes to so many possibilities. So I signed the lease and a few weeks later, COVID hit and the mall shut down for two months. Now, most people may think I was devastated by this news but I was actually overjoyed. I was able to recover from my burnout and find my passion for business and fashion again. Plus, it gave me time to renovate my dream boutique. In May of 2020, I opened my first actual store in the biggest mall in the area with 3 employees and hundreds of clothing styles. And from there my business blossomed. I was able to buy my first real car, send my clothes all across the country (including Alaska), and share my passions with other women from the community. Without that perseverance from when I first opened my kiosk, I would not have been able to grow as not only an entrepreneur, but as a follower of Christ as well.

For three years I ran my own business but by May of 2022, I felt led to pursue another dream. I wanted to take a step back from being a business owner and just focus on what I love most, marketing and business. Letting go of something I built for the past three years was a hard pill to swallow but at the same time, I felt complete peace. Prayer is vital during a time like this. Who wants to make a life altering decision by themselves? God is so awesome. Prayer and surrounding yourself with supportive people during a time like this is so important. Take my boyfriend Jordan for example who has been my biggest supporter from the moment I met him. In July, he told me his mom heard an ad on WFRN that they are hiring a marketing consultant. So naturally, I applied because who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by godly people all day while doing what I love most, marketing. And by the end of September of 2022, I was officially a marketing consultant for WFRN!

You see, without perseverance from when I got only one sale, when I worked 65+ hour weeks 7 days a week with little to no customers, and overcame obstacles and stressors that come along with owning a business, I wouldn’t have developed the skills and confidence to get me the dream job I have now. I think God gives us all the spirit of perseverance and it’s the enemy who fills our minds with lies and doubt. 

Here’s what The Bible has to say about perseverance: in James 1:12 it says,
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.”
And my personal favorite, Romans 5:3-5,
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” 

Hopefully this produces some form of hope for the girl in her twenties trying to find her purpose in life, a man in his forties who just lost his job, or anyone who wonders when this hardship will pass. I’m here to tell you that it will. God’s timing and plan for us is perfect. You will get through, keep persevering!