Monday, January 13, 2014

Doubt + Dreams {The Oxford}



Have you guys ever really felt something in your gut that you just knew was being worked out according to God's perfect plan and timing? We're experiencing this right now in our life. I thought I would share a little bit with you today.

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Since Jeremy and I started dating, I always knew his dream was to own + open his own menswear shop.  He started working for a small, high-end menswear store in our little college town while in high school and has always had a passion for quality men's clothing.

Fast forward twelve years and here we are. His dream and desires haven't diminished over the years and I am 100% behind the plan. The timing is right in our life, and we're going for it. Together. We've selected a name for the store, scouted out the perfect location and are in the thick of it all. Jeremy knows clothes. Quality, well-made menswear. Of that I have zero doubt. And, good things have started happening. Propelling us in the direction of change.

And yet. Despite these good things, I still have these itty bitty little seeds of doubt.

Essentially doubting God.

This topic has been on my heart since the beginning of the year. Faith, that is. And how God actually works in our life vs. the way we want Him to work. Trusting God for things big and small. Believing and trusting. In my opinion it's always a breeze to listen to someone else's faith building story. How God moved in a crazy way in their life. How they placed their trust in God and proclaimed their blessing out loud. It's another story when it comes to our own lives.

It's a big deal. To say that something is going to happen in MY life. And truly believe it. To announce a plan, knowing that it might not work. To stand firm. To have enough faith to believe in your heart that it WILL happen.

Yikes.

God is working on me.

My Husband doesn't struggle with this like I do. He just believes. Simply. Me? Another story completely. I like to control our life. I like to KNOW the plan. To stick to the plan. And, to have every little detail worked out before we decide to do something BIG. I want to control it all and just have it work so-so. On my schedule and timeline, of course.

I am a play it safe kind of girl. Yesterday, my sweet Husband gently reminded me of this-

God works everything out His way so we aren't involved in any part of it.

Read that again. It was a revelation to me. When its all said and done we couldn't have done it on our own. It has to be HIS way, or we might think we had a part in it. Reality is, His way is so much bigger than we could ever work out.

So, I'll keep you guys posted on our progress. The name of the shop is, "The Oxford" (we will refer to it as The Oxford Haberdashery as well), and it will be located here in the Houston area. The emphasis will be on quality, American made goods. Our goal is to open the doors in late 2014.

Through this process I'm learning to trust in God. To have that scary kind of faith that believes when I don't SEE anything yet. I'm learning to trust. If you're facing similar situations in your life that require the big, scary kind of faith, just be encouraged. God WILL work it all out. In His perfect timing. And as it turns out, His way is always better. BIGGER.

And, please share your story if you've already experienced this in your own life, I would love to hear!

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