Waiting

Waiting is the hard part. Not only for me, but for anyone. When you have a dream or a goal it usually doesn't happen overnight or without a lot of work.  So it takes time.  I hate that part!  I would prefer things to happen overnight.  I would like to wake up in the morning & have everything lined up neatly to start my new project.  In our case with the bookstore, this dream has taken a while to emerge. 

I've always wanted to have a bookstore.  The look has changed over the years.  When I was a pastor, I wanted a bookstore in the churches I served.  After I left that career, my mind started to imagine & wonder.  What should I do now with my life now?  I still have half of it left! (My grandma is 95 yrs old.)  So ideas started to pop in my head.  I started to write them down.  More ideas came.  I looked to see what information & resources were out there for owning a bookstore.  I love learning (that is why I love non-fiction books - so many topics, so little time!).  I stumbled across a couple of books & also a bookstore consulting group called Paz & Associates, ran by Donna & Mark Kaufman. They are sweet & extremely knowledgeable people from Amelia Island, Florida. 

As Mike & I started to piece together this new dream & what this new adventure would look like, we met a lot of great people.  I am SO blessed & honored to know so many wise people.  You people know who you are!  Many people have helped give ideas for the store & what we are doing.  That has been very helpful, but the people who have helped the most are those who haven't stomped on our dream.  Again, dreams & goals take time to formulate & come to pass.  There is waiting involved.  I have told people several times... we keep putting one foot forward & doing the next step.  Working the plan.  Figuring out how to raise our finances, how to get our name out there, what we need to learn to be successful in this business.  Amid tons of what some would call setbacks, we keep moving forward. What do I do today to progress towards the dream of owning a community bookstore?

We've had a lot of obstacles in the roadway.  Our most recent being an estimate for over $20,000 to repair a retaining wall in our backyard.  Oddly, that is the same amount for a down-payment on a loan for a bookstore!  Yikes!  Again, God has amazingly sent wisdom-filled people into our lives to help us navigate this hurdle.  Will these obstacles ever be done?  I don't think so.  Life is full of obstacles.  You have to get through these things in order to fulfill your dream & goals or you'll be stuck where you are forever. Was I bummed out after that great piece of news?  Oh yea, but I'm finding that I am bouncing back quicker now.  Could it be all those difficult days as a pastor are helping me get through problems as an entrepreneur?  Oh yea.  I know so.  Mike & I found a plaque at the Mall of America a few months ago that we bought.  It says: "The only thing more overrated than natural childbirth, is the joy of owning your own business."  Ha!  How true is that!

So as we wait for the actual picture of our dream to happen (storefront), we move forward. We don't wait for our dream to die or shrivel up.  We don't let the dust settle.  We do the next step. We work the plan to make this happen.  And along the journey, we are so privileged to meet so many awesome & wise people.  Thank you to those (and you know who you are) who have supported us & encouraged us each step.  We are proud to know you & honored that you are in this adventure with us. We're going to have a storefront someday!