Hey Everyone,
You know, we often celebrate the finish line without talking about the moments we almost quit. We love the ribbon cuttings and the milestones, but the real story of transformation is usually written in the dark, heavy moments when everything seems to be falling apart. When the walls collapse, it takes grit to stay and build. That is the powerful truth I want to share with you today as we reflect on an anniversary right in our own backyard.
1 Story of Impact
On June 15, we celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Grimes Thrift Market. It was a major milestone for our organization, but my mind keeps wandering back to May 8, 2017. That was the day I thought the store was dead.
For almost a year, we had hemorrhaged money. The store sat almost a half million dollars in the hole, and local leadership had steered the nose of the plane directly into the ground. I drove up that Monday morning to fire the store manager, carrying a heavy knot of dread in my stomach.
Before I even parked, my phone buzzed. The manager knew I was coming, so he quit via text message. But he didn’t just abandon his post; he sabotaged the operation. He ordered the staff not to come in. He spread vicious lies about me to the team. He left the backroom in shambles.
I walked through the doors to find a deserted store, physical wreckage, and silence. It was a dark, heavy moment.
Paralysis sets in quickly when you stare at a disaster. You look at the sheer weight of the problem, and your brain screams at you to surrender. But I knew this Generosity Engine had the potential to fund our work overseas. I knew it could be a blessing in our backyard. I knew it could give a loving community to hundreds of people. We could not afford to lose it. So, I did the only thing you can do when the walls collapse around you: I took one step in the right direction. And then I took another.
I logged 37,000 steps in the store that day. I started clearing the physical rubble, organizing the backroom, and trusting that God would provide all we needed to right the ship.
Then, slowly, He delivered. God sent people who caught the vision and got to work. The next six months were better than the previous six months. Then 2018 was better than 2017. And 2019 was better than 2018. Walk into the Grimes market today, and you will not find a disaster; you will find a second family. You will see a beautiful blend of volunteers and staff working shoulder to shoulder, so unified you cannot tell who is on the payroll and who is giving freely of their time. They work hard, but they enjoy the mission. They understand exactly what it means to be One Team, Many Hands.
That store recovered from a crippling deficit to reach incredible new heights, cementing the location as a place where every customer leaves feeling valued and loved. We transformed a scene of sabotage into a sanctuary of Love in Action that blesses the world each day, both near and far.
We never know the full story God is writing when we stand in the wreckage. If you are in a season of chaos right now, do not quit. Listen to the still, small voice guiding you forward. You will be amazed at what God can build from the rubble.
3 Points to Ponder
- Survival requires movement. When disaster strikes and you are left in the rubble, the human default is to panic or quit. But survival requires taking just one small step forward. Where in your life are you staring at a mess and simply need to take the next step?
- We are never meant to rebuild alone. The Grimes store turned around because God sent people who stood shoulder to shoulder to build a community. Who are the God-sent people in your life helping you clean up the messes? Have you thanked them?
- Milestones are not just celebrations of time passing; they are monuments to perseverance. What is a past failure or disaster in your life that has now become a testament to God’s redemptive power?
2 Quotes to Share
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.'” — Mary Anne Radmacher
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
The greatest reward of staying in the mess is witnessing what God can build from the rubble. We are not called to run from brokenness but to restore it. The next time you find yourself staring at a disaster, do not surrender. Pick up your trowel and take the next step.
Hit reply and tell me where you need to stand in the wreckage to restore the relationship over the next two weeks. I read every single response.
Live with impact,
Tim
