“I had just given birth to our beautiful baby girl, and I could see her in that soft yellow blanket. Oh to touch her little nose, to smell that sweet newborn smell, and see that she has my eyes. And then, just as the nurse is about to hand her to me…”

I wake up!

My arms are empty, once again, holding on to nothing but my dream.

That dream has come to me countless times over the last 13 years. Yet that day, I believed things would be different- they would be realized. I had finally found the courage and Divine strength to do IVF (in vitro fertilization) after TEN failed IUI (intrauterine insemination) fertility treatments over those 13 years.

Trust through Trials

I didn’t know how I was going to get through all of the painful injections required in that process, especially since I was terrified of needles! However, I found strength in Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I put my faith into action and felt Christ by my side through it all, including all those frightening injections. Once again my husband and I were awaiting the phone call that we were pregnant.

My phone started buzzing, and I quickly called my hubby to come into the room! I wanted him to record this momentous occasion! This is it, she’s finally going to say, “Congratulations Elise! You are pregnant!” I answered the phone, and the nurse confirmed it was me. Then there was silence. So piercing I could practically hear my heartbeat outside of my chest. “I am sorry, Elise. It’s negative.” My mind couldn’t even comprehend what she was saying. That’s not what she was supposed to say. My husband quickly stopped recording the call as I choked out, “So I am not pregnant?” “No, no, you’re not,” she verified.

It couldn’t be! After 13 years of heart-breaking negatives, I could not take this last one. I melted into a pile of tears, and my husband just held me as I felt my whole world fall apart. We had been so sure this time. We had seen the pictures of that perfect embryo. We had already started talking to my tummy as if she was there and planning out our life with her. Now, it was all gone in mere moments, and we were left with nothing.

I am usually not one to doubt God and His plan for me, but over the next few days, that was all I could do. How could God have given me the strength to go through this trial for so many years and then this whole IVF process, only to fail?

Doesn’t it sometimes feel like that in your business too? I believe that each goal and dream you have in your heart was approved and even put there by God, to help you fulfill His purpose and plan for you. So why does He call you to these great things and let you keep failing over and over again? It’s easy to want to give up on your entrepreneurial journey when you don’t feel like you can reach the goals God has placed in our hearts. Sister, don’t give up!

When going through a trial or the ups and downs in your business, it can be difficult to maintain trust in God. However, it is important to remember that trials are an opportunity for growth and refinement.

Seek God through prayer, Bible study, and ask for His guidance and wisdom to help you navigate the challenges of your faith in your business. Our great resource for this is The Faith Strategy Business Planner

Remain steadfast in your beliefs and trust that God's plan for your life and business will be fulfilled.

Trust in the Growth

Take, for instance, the Chinese bamboo shoot. Just imagine you are the farmer planting this tiny seed in the ground. You know God is calling you for this particular task, and you have the seed and everything ready to go, so that’s what you do. Now, we all know that when growing a plant, you typically can’t see anything come out of the ground for several days or weeks. So you go out one month later: nothing. Two months later: nothing. One year later, and still nothing. You have been faithfully watering it, ensuring it has plenty of sunshine and that the ground is clear, and you still see nothing. How could that be?

Naturally you start to doubt yourself.

• Maybe I am not a good farmer.

• Maybe the seed was bad.

• Maybe I misunderstood God’s calling for me to plant this little seed.

• Maybe God doesn’t want to bless me with success.

Yet even as you are saying these things to yourself, you know they’re lies from your Inner Dream Stealer, who is trying to stop you from achieving your dreams. He, known as Satan, knows that that seed and your mission are from God, and so every time you don’t see anything sprout, he is going to make it personal and tell you lies.

Don’t listen to them, and keep trusting that God is with you in your growth. Two years go by, and you see a friend’s bamboo shoot growing, and you wonder what’s wrong with you, but you’re determined to stay the course. Three years go by, and you are starting to just go through the motions. Then, God rescues you by whispering to your heart, “keep going, my child; you are on the right path.” So you dust off your overalls and go back to take care of that tiny seed.

Five years have now passed, and you are at your breaking point.

• “What’s the point of taking care of this seed if it’s never going to sprout?

• Have I put all my hard work into this plant only to be let down?

• Why is God torturing me?”

The adversity feels like more than you can bear, and you are about to give up. Then a miracle happens. You start to see a little sprout coming out of the ground, and the joy you feel is incomprehensible!

The next day, it’s grown even more than you could have imagined, and within just 6 short weeks, your bamboo is 80 feet tall! You did it! You may have had moments when your faith and strength felt like they were withering away, but you continued to trust, and now you finally have the success that God put on your heart. You’re able to make the difference He has called you to make!

Trust in the Learning

Fortunately, it usually doesn’t take 5 years to start seeing the business growth we have been praying for, but it can feel that way sometimes. That’s why it’s essential to realize that it’s not about the goal, it’s about the learning and who you become along the way.

Think about you as the farmer in that bamboo story and in your own entrepreneurial journey. All of those years of caring for a seed (your business) that you can’t see growing teaches you many things:

• Persistence of sticking with it when things are hard

• Patience and faith that your dreams will come to fruition

• Endurance to fight off your Inner Dream Stealer

• Clarity of the truth about who you as a child of God

• Trust with a closer relationship with your Heavenly Father as you rely on Him to help you grow not just your seed/business, but yourself as well.

I have seen this firsthand in my journey as well as in those of my clients. As a Christian Business Strategist and the owner of Divinely Driven Results; we empower Ladypreneurs like yourself to reach their sales goals by partnering with God, empowering their mindset, and utilizing biblical business strategies.

It is a delicate dance of giving all you have to achieve God’s calling for you in your business and then trusting Him with the results. We encourage our clients to set goals and make action plans with God. Trust that He wants to bless them and that He will, in His perfect timing.

I don’t know about you, but I feel closest to heaven in those difficult moments. It was in those horrible days of processing the pain of losing that embryo that I found heavenly peace. I could come back to the Lord and plead with Him to take away the heartache, to help me feel His love for me, and to guide me through. Even though nothing about my situation changed at the time, I was able to feel the incredible peace that only He, the Prince of Peace, can give. In His peace, I could clearly see the steps He wanted me to take.

As my friend likes to say,

“This entrepreneurial journey ain’t for sissies.”

It is one of the best personal development programs you can take. It will bring up your insecurities, test you in ways you never thought possible, and try your faith in God and His plan for you. Yet, if we allow it, our journey to fulfill the calling God has given us through our business can be the most rewarding thing!

The fires we pass through can refine us to make an even bigger impact than we could have possibly imagined! This journey helps us to trust not “in the arm of the flesh” (2 Chronicles 32:8) but in God, in His strength, and in His power. We truly can accomplish all things and glorify Him every step of the way! Don’t give up, my friend. We all have hard times, but I truly believe that God will bless you with even more than you can possibly imagine as you do His will.

Trusting in God's Perfect Timing

After turning my heart back to my Heavenly Father following that first failed IVF, He again led us on our path. We learned of a new test, a uterine biopsy, that’s only been around for two years. These tests are only available following a failed IVF. Results showed us that my body is actually 17 hours behind most women’s bodies.

In our previous attempts, by the time the embryo was ready to implant, my uterus hadn’t been able to support it. All of these circumstances (the timing of when we found out about the test and the results) changed everything, and were evidence of God’s miracles in leading us along in His plan for us. About eight months ago, we gathered our courage and relied on God’s strength, love, peace, and guidance again. We completed another IVF, moving the embryo transfer up those crucial 17 hours.

I will never forget sitting at McDonald’s after having my blood drawn for the pregnancy test. I was talking with my husband about how I didn’t know if we could do this anymore. I pleaded with God in my heart to help me hold on to faith and keep believing against all odds. After lunch, we went to a movie because I couldn’t stand just waiting at home for that phone call. Only 20 minutes into the movie, we got the call.

“Hi Elise, is your husband with you?” I thought that was strange; they never ask that. “Yes, he’s right here,” I said, shaking.

“Congratulations Elise, you are pregnant!”

Tears flowed immediately, and I dropped to the floor, unable to comprehend what she had just said. After 14 heartbreaking and very trying years on this fertility journey, it finally happened! God granted me my prayers!

My hubby even had the nurse say it three times and double-check our records just to make sure. It was the most surreal moment of my life. As I write this, tears of joy and gratitude stream down my cheeks again as I feel my baby boy kicking inside me. God’s timing is perfect; for our son, Mason was not meant to be brought into this world at any other time.

By focusing on God's faithfulness, trusting in His plan and purpose, and waiting patiently for His perfect timing, you can maintain faith in your online business even when success may seem elusive. Remember that trials can be an opportunity for growth and refinement, and trust that God has a plan for you and your business. Seek Him through prayer and Bible study, and trust that He will guide and provide for you in His timing.

Sometimes a new perspective is all that's needed to find success. God may lead you to someone with fresh eyes who can help you take your business to the next level, just as He led us to new tests that resulted in successfully getting pregnant. If you're in need of fresh insights into your business, consider reaching out for a strategy call to receive guidance and support, along with the possibility of discovering new strategies for success. This will aid you in navigating the challenges and triumphs of your business journey.