Go where God leads you

Go! Even if it’s like St. Peter himself. Jesus said Peter would go where he didn’t want to go and do what he didn’t want to do, but Peter, despite of his own wants surrendered and trusted. 2000 years later that trust and tradition lives on in the Catholic Church, despite Peter’s repeated attempts at failure, God perfected his flaws.

I’m veering off from the equipment purchases I’ve made to some of the mental aspects of starting a business. For example credit and debt last month, and moving for opportunity, should it present itself. Very often we are stubborn and don’t want to change, leading us to be stuck in a vicious cycle of unhappiness in our life’s results. I am currently wrestling with this myself and trying to be as open as possible so I do not block any blessings. It’s easy to get distracted by many around me who aren’t doing much with their lives in the same old cycles. Then there’s the old philosophy of surround yourself with successful people. Their achievements will drive you to to similar aspirations when you see their happiness in both success and life. Very often we live like crabs in the pot pulling each other down though the very moment we try to escape from this mentality. I have looked at the successful ones around me, and I have seen it hasn’t happened over night, but over years, piece by piece.

This brings me to my current moment. In a snapshot, end of 2016 I decided to begin building my credit, just in case joining a religious group didn’t work out, so I can start a business. 2017 after things didn’t work out with the religious group, I met a woman who I began to seriously date. This spurred me to buy another car, after selling my old one and use Uber to as my own business, building my own clientele. 2018 I realized Uber would not be sustainable long term and I started to develop my coffee concept. In the mix, my girlfriend and soon to be fiance had a job relocation to Virginia from Philadelphia. October 2019 I would finally move from New Jersey to Virginia and marry my wife in December, giving up my clientele to a local friend I met at church, looking for some extra side work. January 2020 I am at a point of decision today. Should I start the farmer’s markets as planned, or buy a pizza place, which is where I have 20 years experience and use it as a store front to further develop my concept while kicking up cash flow.

I have an appointment with the bank to discuss a small loan today, that I should be able to repay in a year due to the low overhead of the business. After that I have an appointment with the head of a franchise for an interview. It’s a great opportunity, but I struggle with the thought. When I moved to Virginia however I was working 2 jobs. 1 at a coffee shop to shake off the rust of my daily coffee making skills, the other was for another franchise pizza place where my career began. As I shook off the rust on these skills delivering pizza, the all too familiar call for assistance happened. As I jumped back into things quickly, it opened me up to other possibilities, which led me to research pizza shops for sale in the area. In the mix I found an existing restaurant for sale, that had space for my coffee equipment. Only catch is, I am newly married and the prospect of a 7 day work week for several months is very real. I simply have to overcome my fears though and trust, I will train the proper people in a short time as I always do, which through the sacrifice I hope will bring the results I seek. In addition I cannot sacrifice my faith which got me this far. There is church nearby that has Mass times which align well with my schedule, in addition it’s always opened. After reading about Kobe Bryant today, I realize this is important, God rest his soul and I trust he is at peace. I’m just sad for his family and friends currently. It’s very surreal that daily mass attendance needs to be at the heart of all my efforts as it has been over the years if i’m going to stay focused in these challenging times, just as he did to achieve his pinnacle in sport, and eventually his calling in life to serve others in his charity.

In close, should I gain approval from both the bank and franchise I will trust this is where God wants me. If it’s not meant to be, some element will happen, just as the religious group rejected me after approving me, which led me New Jersey, which led me to my wife and fulfillment of my vocation. This is ironically the heart of “The Alchemist”, the book which inspired “The Traveling Shepherd”. The main character went on a journey that ended in tragedy. He restarted his life, and found his destiny/personal legend. The main thing was he trusted God to get Him where he was going.

This image with St. Raphael is in thanksgiving to his assistance. In the book of Tobit we learn he is interceding on our behalf, like all the saints. In his intercession God sends him to help a man named Tobias on his journey in achieving his life destiny, which includes restoring his families wealth, meeting Sarah, who he marries and frees of a curse, and healing his father’s blindness applying fish bile to his eyes, something Jesus later reflects in the gospels. This archangel, like “The Alchemist” book were very influential in my journey/pilgrimage of life. Ironically not only is he patron of travelers like myself, he is also patron of happy meetings and Catholic Match, the website I met my wife through a series of events. Rarely do you see his statue, but ironically there was one of him in the church we chose to marry in.