When A Dream Invades Your Home: A Wife’s Perspective

I have never wanted to run a business. Frankly, I hated the idea. First you have to decide what you will do, find the resources to start up, plan, make products or do the services, advertise, customer relations, the worries, I mean list, goes on and on. My biggest concern was the unknown, “Will anyone really want what we have and will it be enough to pay our bills.”

In May 2024 Mark left a job that had taken everything out of him. You see, my husband is a very skilled man in his field, and a hard worker, with a tendency towards being a perfectionist. His boss saw this and took full advantage. After two and a half years the constant demands, ever changing list of responsibilities, and the expectation to work as many hours as it took to do jobs he wasn’t trained to do took its toll on him mentally and physically. I felt the pain too, constantly worried about him and frustrated that work was keeping him from rest…and me. I spent hours praying for him and crying for myself. I admit it, I definitely spent some serious time feeling sorry for myself, selfish I know.

So when Mark told me it was time to leave his job I was thrilled. We had a little extra in savings so we decided it would be good for him to take a month off to relax. I had no idea what I was in for. My beloved husband needed something to “relax” so he picked up an old buffet and set to work making something new. He would spend hours on-line looking for inspiration than even more hours out in the garage transforming someone else's trash into what I have dubbed “the beautiful one”.

A month passed and discussion of a new job began. Mark would talk about how now is the best time to begin a business, that now was a great time to have control of your own income and that there were great government support for new entrepreneurs.

Remember at the beginning when I said I never wanted to own a business?

I said, “take one more month to rest and we will talk about it then”. My hardworking husband needed to keep busy so one free dresser turned into 5 then 5 into 10 and soon enough we had an orange carport , I hate orange, in the backyard to hold the many diamonds in the rough. I love to plan my day ahead but it was constantly being interrupted with “come with me to pick up this dresser. I will look great when it is finished”. I most definitely did not see his vision. There were many days where I would argue with him about whether or not a piece of furniture was worth saving. Looking back I am amazed at the way he saw potential in the most ravaged dressers.

When June turned into July then July to August I realized that if Mark didn’t at least give this business a chance it would crush him. After much prayer, together and separately, we decided that Mark would take an intensive 18 week class through MicroBusiness Training that began in mid September.

Monday - Thursday Mark would be in class until 4 then go straight to the garage to work until 10pm or later. Friday to Sunday it be as many hours as humanly possible. Finished furniture began to slowly migrate into the house so that they would be safe until they were sold. As weather got colder (below -15) tools, supplies and finally painting, began to find its way in. If you have never worked with paint, you may not know that it really doesn’t like to freeze and even a space heater isn't enough to encourage that pesky last layer to dry.

About here is when I began to have my own change of heart. I would pray to God to make me the kind of wife who makes her husband feel like he can do anything he puts his mind too but also help be an anchor to keep him realistic enough to succeed. With that prayer I slowly began to see the disarray of my house and the replacement of my dining room with a spray booth, yes you read that right, as a blessing. I thought of all of the success stories Mark threw at me and realized that this is a season, figuratively and literally, just that, a season. It will pass and we will look back to see God’s blessings, no matter the business outcome. I will always have this time where despite the chaos and uncertainty, my house was filled with potential and hope. We have laughed and prayed and worked together more than I ever thought we could.

Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”

As of today, we own a baby business that is making and selling some of the prettiest refinished furniture I have ever seen, if I do say so myself. We are still working toward making it self-sustaining but it its getting there. Growing our social media and finding new clients is a constant job. We are continually learning the ins and outs of being business owners. It feels daunting but we know that our future isn’t in our hands. We do our best but in the end we have chosen to make God the CEO of this business and I can’t wait to see what he will do.